Why colour is a premium design decision

Violet, vermilion and electric blue: using confident colour to create a distinctive contemporary brand world.

Mara Veldt

Brand Designer

woman in black framed eyeglasses. Editorial reference photography via Unsplash.

Key points

Choose a relationship.

Let photography carry colour.

Balance saturation with space.

Premium design does not require an absence of colour. A confident palette can be as precise as a monochrome system when every relationship has a clear purpose.

Choose a relationship

Begin with the interaction between colours rather than a long list of swatches. A violet portrait against a dark field can establish a stronger identity than several unrelated accents.

Let photography carry colour

The interface can remain restrained while the images provide intensity. This gives a brand room to change campaigns without rebuilding its core navigation and typography.

Balance saturation with space

Vivid images need room around them. A disciplined grid and deliberate pauses allow colour to feel expressive without making the page difficult to read.

Keep a consistent hierarchy

Reserve an accent for meaningful actions and states. Visitors should be able to distinguish an interactive control from an expressive part of the image.

Check text contrast against the actual crop, including on smaller screens. A colour relationship that works in a moodboard may fail behind a short headline.

Build recognition through repetition

Repeat a small number of colour relationships across campaigns, covers and product stories. Recognition grows from those connections rather than from identical layouts.

A flexible palette can support new image stories while retaining a recognisable core. Review the campaign sequence as a whole, not just as individual screens.