Super Practical Guide to Color Theory, Color Models and Perfect Color Palettes | UI Design

Color Palettes and Color Theory in UI Design: A Practical Guide

Key Concepts: Color, Hue, Tint, Tone, Shade, Temperature, CMYK, RGB, HSB, Jewel Tones, Pastel Tones, Earth Tones, Neutral Tones, Fluorescent Tones, Shades, Saturation, Brightness, Visual Hierarchy, Primary Colors, Secondary Colors.

Introduction

The video addresses the challenge of creating effective color palettes for UI design, even when using color palette generators. It proposes a practical, non-technical approach based on traditional art principles, focusing on manipulating hue, tint, tone, shade, and temperature within design software.

Understanding Color Levers

• Color: The general term for every hue, tint, tone, or shade.
• Hue: The dominant color family of a specific color (e.g., red, blue, green). White, black, and gray are not hues.
• Tint: A hue with white added, lightening the color without necessarily making it brighter.
• Tone: A hue with gray added, reducing the intensity of the color. Tone colors are often considered more pleasing and sophisticated.
• Shade: A hue with black added, darkening the color.
• Temperature: The perceived warmth or coolness of a hue.
  • Warm Colors: Colors with increased red or yellow tones, evoking passion, energy, and coziness.
  • Cool Colors: Colors with increased blue or green tones, invoking calmness, freshness, and stillness.

Color Models: CMYK, RGB, and HSB

• CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black): A subtractive color model used for print. Mixing these colors covers the white of the page, reducing reflected light.
• RGB (Red, Green, Blue): An additive color model used for digital screens. Mixing these colors at full brightness results in white light.
• HSB (Hue, Saturation, Brightness): A color model commonly used in design apps for UI/UX design.
  • Hue: The color itself, represented on a 360-degree radial scale.
  • Saturation: The intensity or richness of the color.
  • Brightness: The lightness or darkness of the color.

The video emphasizes using the HSB color model for UI design due to its intuitive representation of how humans perceive color. The presenter recommends switching the color model to HSB in design apps like Sketch and Figma.

Color Categories and Formulas

The video introduces six color categories, each with a specific range of saturation and brightness values that can be used to create harmonious color palettes.

1. Jewel Tones: Richly saturated hues named after gems (e.g., ruby red, sapphire blue).
   • Saturation: 83-73
   • Brightness: 76-56
   • Example: The presenter demonstrates creating a jewel-toned palette by setting the saturation to 83 and brightness to 76, then varying only the hue for each color swatch.
2. Pastel Tones: Pale, soothing colors (e.g., pink, baby blue, mint).
   • Saturation: 14-21
   • Brightness: 89-96
3. Earth Tones: Colors found in nature (e.g., umber, ochre, sienna).
   • Saturation: 36-46
   • Brightness: 77-36
4. Neutral Tones: Black, white, beige, grays, browns, and tans.
   • Saturation: 1-10
   • Brightness: 99-70
5. Fluorescent Tones (Neon Tones): Bright, highly saturated colors.
   • Saturation: ≥63
   • Brightness: 100-82
6. Shades: Black, white, and varying degrees of gray.
   • Saturation: 0-0
   • Brightness: 0-100

Combining Color Categories

The video suggests combining different color categories, such as pastel and earth tones, or jewel tones and pastel tones. It notes that the best UI designs often use a combination of one main color category along with neutrals and shades. Common combinations include shades plus pastels, neutrals and earth tones, and fluorescents and shades.

Practical Application and Relatability

The video argues that thinking about color in terms of these categories, similar to how painters or interior designers might, can be more relatable and useful for UI designers. It provides a framework for creating refined palettes without relying solely on guesswork.

Conclusion

The video advocates for a practical approach to color theory in UI design, emphasizing the manipulation of hue, saturation, and brightness within specific ranges to create harmonious color palettes. It encourages designers to experiment with different color categories and combinations to achieve the desired user experience. The presenter emphasizes that understanding the foundations of color theory is important, but finding analogies and techniques that work best for individual designers is key to effective color usage.