I used to think I needed more colors.
More options. More flexibility. More freedom to explore.
I was wrong.
Here's what happened: I'd open Figma, stare at the color picker for 20 minutes. And pick nothing. Analysis paralysis dressed up as "being thorough."
You know this feeling. We all do.
Then I saw Apple's brand colors. Just black and white.
Can it be, that the best color palettes come from constraint, not freedom?
You Don't Need More Colors or a Complex Color Palette
Look at Stripe. Four brand colors. That's it.
Spotify? Green, black, white. They built a mega B company on three colors.
Apple's entire aesthetic? A minimal color palette that screams "we know what we're doing."
These companies aren't limiting themselves. They're freeing themselves.
When you have 50 shades and gradients of blue or yellow, every button is a debate. When you have three, you just design.
The Beautiful 60-30-10 Rule Changed My Life
I know, I know. Rules feel restricting.
But hear me out:
- 60% dominant color (usually neutral)
- 30% secondary color (supports the vibe)
- 10% accent color (makes things pop)
I use this on every project now. It works. It declutters.
Your brain processes constrained palettes faster. Your users don't get overwhelmed.
Your design looks intentional instead of random.
But I wanted to know the origins of this rule, before using it more. I saw it is inspired by the golden ratio. A universal ratio observed many times over in nature. In leaves, in natural patters of the desert... It is the golden ratio as a+b is to a as a is to b which calculates to a/b=~1.6.
If you cut 100 into three parts having the golden ratio you get 50-31-19. Okay, it is not the 60-30-10 rule exactly mirrored, but design often profits from empty space. So the golden ratio in the mathematical sense come close. And constraints help setting the direction, you still keep some creative freedom.
Three Design Mistakes I Made (So You Don't Have To)
I used to pick colors in isolation.
I'd find the perfect blue, fall in love with it, then drop it into my design. It would clash with everything. Colors don't exist alone—they live next to text, images, buttons, and backgrounds. Therefore the palette feed on our site is switchable to get a feel for the colors in action. Same holds for the creation of a new palette.
Now? I test colors together from day one.
I ignored accessibility.
This one hurts to admit. I created beautiful palettes that people with color impairments couldn't distinguish. Palettes that failed contrast ratios. Palettes that looked great but worked terribly.
It was the reason to show the maximum contrast within the palette as you build it. And the contrast level for small text on every palette in the feed.
I only tested on my fancy monitor.
My designs looked gorgeous on my PC screen. Then I'd check them side by side on two phones in in different lighting conditions. Disaster. Much of it is attributed to the settings in the phones and the display, but still you want your colors to be recognizable.
Your users aren't viewing your work in perfect conditions. They're outside. They're on old devices. They're in dark mode at 2 AM.
This triggered the need for having a switch between light and dark mode, and also some sort of daylight simulation of colors.
Test everywhere. Or accept that your palette only works in your bubble.
How I Create Beautiful Palettes Now
I start with the emotion, not the color.
What should people feel? Trust? Energy? Calm? Excitement?
Then I pick one primary color that nails that emotion. Not five colors. One main color.
Then I add a secondary or accent color.
Next, I build a scales for both. I don't need "a gray". I need shades from light to dark.
This gives me hierarchy, depth, and flexibility without chaos.
Then I test it against real content immediately.
Not lorem ipsum. Not placeholder text. Real headlines, real buttons, real data.
Because colors that look good on a blank canvas often fall apart when reality hits.
The Thing Nobody Tells You
Every color decision drains your energy.
Should this button be primary or secondary? Should this error be red or orange-red? Should this background be gray-100 or gray-200?
By the end of the day, you're exhausted from micro-decisions that don't matter.
A good color palette eliminates 90% of these decisions. You're not choosing colors anymore. You're applying a system.
This is why companies like e.g. Shopify went great lengths perfecting their design systems (Polaris).
What's the color decision that always slows you down? The one where you just... stare at the screen?
I'd genuinely love to know. Because I've been there. And I bet you have too.