chapter 02 · design & colour
design & colour:
pick a direction
People decide how they feel about a site before they read a word. Colour helps set that feeling, but it is never just a palette. It is part of the brand system — alongside type, imagery, layout and tone. Use these directions as starting points, not rules.
01playful
Fun, quick, a bit unserious. Colour gives the brand its energy.
colour · Try unexpected pairings, bright interruptions and a background that gives the lively colours room to breathe. The combination matters more than any individual shade.
type · Rounded geometric sans for headings, plain sans for body.
use it when · Consumer products, food and drink, kids, community.
02contemporary
Current, confident, slightly technical. Everything feels considered.
colour · A quiet base with one vivid note can feel precise, but so can a family of closely related tones. Use contrast sparingly and let the brand's materials, imagery or motion bring another layer.
type · Tight grotesk headings, mono for labels and metadata.
use it when · Software, studios, anything sold on craft and speed.
03elegant
Quiet luxury. Space, restraint and a sense of proportion.
colour · Look for subtle relationships: warm against cool, soft against deep, matte against a small glint of something brighter. An elegant brand can use colour generously when the balance stays intentional.
type · High-contrast serif headings, small caps for navigation.
use it when · Interiors, jewellery, hospitality, private practices.
04minimal
Nothing spare. Layout, type and one clear idea carry the brand.
colour · Colour can be almost absent, or it can be the whole point. Start with the hierarchy: decide what needs to recede, what needs to be found and where a change of colour earns attention.
type · One sans, two weights, generous line height.
use it when · Portfolios, agencies, products with a single clear promise.
05bold
Loud on purpose. The brand wants to be noticed and remembered.
colour · High contrast is one route, but not the only one. A saturated tonal range, a deliberately limited combination or a clash of opposites can all feel bold when the choice is consistent.
type · Condensed display headings, tiny mono captions.
use it when · Events, streetwear, launches, anything that needs attention fast.
06earthy
Warm, calm, handmade. A little human and never too polished.
colour · Build from the character of the brand: natural materials, food, landscape, craft or skin. Layer related colours, introduce one unexpected note and avoid assuming earthy has to mean muted.
type · Humanist serif headings, soft sans body.
use it when · Wellness, ceramics, food, sustainable brands.
how to combine colour
- · Start with the feeling, not a colour name. Ask what the brand should make people feel.
- · Give colours different jobs: background, structure, emphasis and moments of surprise.
- · Look beyond the colour itself. Type, photography, materials and spacing all change how it reads.
- · Test the combination in context. Check contrast, accessibility and how it feels beside real content.
not sure which one is you?
tell us about the project — we'll come back with a direction.
enquire about a site build