Choosing a color palette can be a daunting task, I totally get it! It’s why so many business owners work with professional designers to do that work for them. But, I know that working with a pro isn’t always in the budget for some people — so I wrote this blog post to help get you started on the process on your own.

Before we jump into discovering color palettes, there are a few important things to consider.

#1: Though colors have meaning, those meanings are subjective.

Color meanings can change based on their juxtaposition with other colors, depending on an individual’s culture, and based on personal experience.

For example: the red, white, and blue combination is a symbol of pride and patriotism for some Americans, while in other countries (and some American populations) can carry a negative connotation.

In Western culture, it’s socially acceptable, and often expected, that we wear black at funerals, whereas in other cultures, white, red, or even purple are considered colors of mourning.

We all have different perceptions of colors. For me, black and orange will always make me think of Halloween, and red and green are Christmas colors. When I say yellow and red, do you think of McDonald’s? Winnie the Pooh? A sunset? Something else?

Why is this significant? Because there is a lot of emphasis on color symbolism in our modern times, but choosing colors solely based on what YOU think they mean doesn’t always work for your audience. Whenever you make a design decision, it’s important to keep your ideal client in mind, and choose visuals that resonate with and make sense to them specifically depending on where they spend their time and what their preconceived notions are.

#2: Don’t automatically choose your favorite color(s).

Another important thing I like to note is that you shouldn’t automatically choose your favorite color(s) for your brand palette. It may work out that you like your color palette (and I want you to like it!) but blindly choosing red because you love it may not make sense. It’s important to look at industry trends, your competitors, and consider your ideal client more so than your own feelings.

Let’s say your favorite color is green, but when you go to look at competitors in your area you find that they are all using green too. Does it make sense to use green in your palette? Maybe! If you’re an environmental non-profit that focuses on green technologies, it probably makes sense to integrate some form of green. But it’s also important to consider how you can stand out, while still appealing to your target audience.

#3: Typically, when it comes to color palettes, less is more.

While there are exceptions to the rule, most visual brands focus on 2-3 colors in their palette, plus white, black, or another neutral color (like grey, or beige). It’s totally possible to create a fun, lively brand with just a few colors, so don’t get sucked into using 4-5 from the get go. There are ways to successfully grab your client’s attention without blinding them with a rainbow of color. I urge you to focus on 2-3 to start, and if you find evidence that you need to add more in the future, then you can go for it!

Keep in mind that you can also use different tints of colors to expand your palette without flying totally off the visual rails! Try changing the opacity or lightening your colors to add some depth and interest.

Now that we’ve got those 3 things out of the way, let’s talk about some concepts you SHOULD be focused on when it comes to color:

Legibility: ensuring that the colors you choose work well together, and that your graphics are readable when used. Testing them out in a real-world context is important, such as in a social media template or in a flyer.
Consistency: it’s important to use the same color palette for an extended period of time so that potential and current clients recognize your brand.
Authenticity: considering your brand values, audience, and industry and showcasing your business in an authentic manner
Meaning: once you’ve considered the rest, consider cultural (and industry) meanings

Here’s a step by step roadmap for discovering your color palette:

STEP #1: Consider your brand values and personality.

How do you want potential clients to think of you? What feelings do you want your brand colors to give potential customers? Is your brand local-focused/neighborly, uber professional and corporate? Cheerful and positive, or realistic and practical? What is your brand mission, and what values are important to both you and your clients?

There are loads of coffee shops in the world, but let’s look at Dunkin’ vs. Starbucks below as an example. Now, I’m not saying that Starbucks is never fun, but if you’re a New Englander you know that Dunkin’ can get a little more wild with their ads. I think this shows in their use of color too. Dunkin’ loves their oranges, pinks, purples, and yellows paired with their brown color, and they love bright, vivid photography. On the flipside, Starbucks tends to be a tad more serious, wanting to appeal to a more upscale clientele with their darker greens and browns.

STEP #2: Clarify your ideal client

You can think about your ideal client in two ways: the first, as someone you have worked with in the past that you loved, and would want to work with again over and over. Or, the second, as someone you have not worked with yet but would be a dream client in an ideal world. The more specific you can get about this person, the better, because this is who you’ll be keeping in mind as you think about color choices.

How old are they?
Where do they live, and who do they live with?
What do they do for a living?
What stage are they at in their life (are they getting married, having kids, looking at colleges, retiring soon, going through a divorce or grieving a loss)?
What does this person value most in life, and what problems are they having that you can solve for them?
What kinds of clothing do they wear? Where (and how) do they spend their money?
Think about where they spend their time off and online, whether it’s in local coffee shops, on Instagram, in the woods. What is important to them?

STEP 3: Do industry research

This is SO important for many reasons not pertaining to color palette discovery, but I’m going to discuss it within this specific context. When starting any logo project, I always ask clients who their competitors are. I want to have a good understanding of not only their industry, but who they’ll be specifically competing with. I want their logo and visual brand to stand out and be different from what is already out there in the wild, while also fitting into the industry in a way that will make sense for their ideal client. I sometimes even create comparison axes where I compile all of the competitor logos and/or color palettes and compare specific aspects of each. Things like colors (warm vs. cool, colorful vs. muted, or multiple vs. one, etc.), imagery used, how modern or outdated it looks, etc.

Ideally, you want your color palette to feel innovative and fresh while also fitting into your industry in a way that makes sense. If everyone’s using blue and red, ask yourself why? Does it make sense to stick with the trend, or break the pattern instead?

In the below axis example, I’m comparing Boston florist logos to see how modern or outdated they look vs. how much color is being used. Already, you can see that many are using some type of green color, and others are using no color at all. Interesting!

STEP #4: Make a moodboard

Moodboards are a great way to start visualizing your brand. There are so many different ways to make a moodboard, but here are some ideas to get you started:

Take your brand values and google them/plug them into stock image websites such as unsplash (free), shutterstock, or istock. Examples: joy, collaboration, empathy
Make a list of relevant terms to your industry and do the same (be as specific as possible). Examples: a florist may try words such as bouquet, wedding venues, and wedding decor. These are broad terms, but you can get even more specific, like “vibrant bouquet,” “beach wedding venues,” or “whimsical wedding decor.”
If your business is locally-focused, try geographic or cultural terms such as “Boston,” “West Coast,” or “White Mountains.”
Think about your audience too! Terms like “young business woman,” “diverse family,” or “biotech lab” could be helpful too.

Start compiling images into a blank Canva file, Word document, PowerPoint file, or Google Doc. It doesn’t have to be pretty — this isn’t a design piece, just research (think low pressure)! You can see a sample of one below.

The great thing about moodboards is how visual they are. They make it easier to get an understanding of what colors and visual “vibe” may work for your audience and brand. You can even “color pick” from your mood board! One easy way to do this is to bring the moodboard into Canva (if you haven’t already), make some shapes (can be square, circular, whatever!), and then select them and use the eyedropper tool in the color options menu (I’ve got a visual of where this all is below!) You can then use the eyedropper to select colors directly from the images.

I recommend color picking 10-12 colors to get a full understanding of what you’re seeing. You won’t use all of them, but it will give you a wider range of options. Keep in mind that you’ll want to have options for good contrast, with both darker and lighter colors, and brighter and more muted.

Once you get a good idea of the range of colors at your disposal, it’s time to choose 3-4 to get started with. As I said above, you’ll want to ensure the colors you choose have good contrast when used together. Below are some examples taken from the above palette:

Step #6 will be very important after you make some color choices! But let me give you one more option for color exploration below:

STEP #5: Use color exploration tools (coolors.co, color.adobe.com, Canva’s color tools)

You can also use other color exploration tools instead of the color picker/eyedropper option. My 3 favorites are below:

Coolors.co: In the top right “Tools” area you have lots of options, but I prefer the Explore Palettes feature. Here, you can use similar search terms as you input for the moodboard, and get inspiration from existing color palettes. If you know you want a red color in your palette, you can also simply type in “red” to get more inspiration, and open your mind up to more options. The thing I love most about Coolors is that they give you the hex codes right up front, making it easy to apply those to your designs and test them out. You can also try out their other features, such as Palette Generator, Contrast Checker, and their own color picker, Image Picker.
Color.adobe.com: I play around in the “Create” area a lot, as there is something super satisfying about moving throughout the color wheel. Change up the Color Harmony in the top left to get more color palette ideas. This website also has a color picker/image picker tool as well a contrast checker for accessibility.
Canva.com/colors: Lastly, Canva has their own color area of their website! I highly recommend checking it out, especially if you’re already a Canva user. There’s a feature for generating palettes, color picking from images, playing with the color wheel (similarly to the Adobe website) as well a color meanings area. I wouldn’t put a lot of stock into the color meanings area, but I do like that when you choose a color, they also serve you color combinations that work well with the color.

STEP #6: Do a test run

This is SO important! The easiest and least time-intensive way to do this is to simply make a copy of an existing design you’ve already used and start applying your color palette. You’ll quickly be able to tell if you need to bump up the contrast or tone down the vibrancy. It’s one thing to look at a color palette when it’s set up in shapes, and another to see it being used with images, text, and actual content.

You can do this with multiple palettes, and I urge you to do so. Keep them all in the same Canva file so you can easily scroll through them and compare.

Some tips/reminders:

You don’t have to use every single color in your palette every time you design something. It’s great to have a range, but sticking with 2 primary colors and then having the option to work with 2-3 additional colors is great practice. Oftentimes, less is more when it comes to color.
You may want to use one color for calls-to-action (such as buttons, linked text, or text saying things like “book a call today!” or “shop now”). You’ll want this to be a color that stands out, and is legible.
If your business has multiple services, you can even establish different colors for each. For example, maybe you’re a hairdresser who wants to be able to distinguish your designs when you’re talking to your general audience vs. your wedding/bridal audience.
Remember that you can also use black, white, or a neutral color (beige or gray, for example) with your color palette.
Ask a friend to take a look, or better yet, an actual client! If you have the ability to get feedback from ideal clients, that’s awesome as that is who you want to attract more of. Ask them if these colors feel representative of your business, or if the colors resonate with them. Of course, everyone will have their own opinions, but if you get a consensus then that is great data!

#7: Save your hex codes in Canva!

So, you’ve got your color palette established and you’re ready to go, woohoo! The last step is to ensure that you’ve saved your hex codes in all the places it matters, such as Canva’s Brand Kit area, on your website platform, email platform, etc. I also write down my client’s hex codes in my project management software (I have an everlasting task in Asana where I store them) for safekeeping.

When it comes to visual brand recognition, repetition and consistency are key! As I’ve said before (and will continue to say) I highly suggest testing your color palette for at least 6 months before making any drastic changes.

I hope this blog post has been helpful! If you’ve got questions or need help creating your own color palette, I’m here for you! Simply reach out via the button below and let’s get it started!

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How to choose a color palette for your brand