Palette Systems: Color With a Job
Palette Systems: Color With a Job. The goal isn’t clever—it’s clarity people can repeat after hearing it once.
A name is a handle for memory and meaning; pronounceable beats punny.
Steps
- State the promise in plain words — Avoid poetry; say the outcome a buyer can point to later.
- Design constraints before concepts — Constraints produce coherence; they are not creative jail.
- Define the audience and their stakes — Name who loses what if nothing changes; real stakes sharpen choices.
- Document decisions in one page — People use what they can read in two minutes.
Why this matters: Avoid poetry; say the outcome a buyer can point to later. In branding, consistency is a function of decisions captured and reused.
Why this matters: Constraints produce coherence; they are not creative jail. In branding, consistency is a function of decisions captured and reused.
Why this matters: Name who loses what if nothing changes; real stakes sharpen choices. In branding, consistency is a function of decisions captured and reused.
Why this matters: People use what they can read in two minutes. In branding, consistency is a function of decisions captured and reused.
Toolkit
- Positioning line — For [audience] who struggle with [problem], we deliver [outcome], proven by [proof].
- Palette tokens — CSS variables / design tokens for color and spacing across apps.
- Messaging blocks — Headline • subhead • bullets • CTA mapped to page sections.
- Voice ladder — From formal to playful with examples for each channel.
How to use it: For [audience] who struggle with [problem], we deliver [outcome], proven by [proof]. Save the final in a shared doc; link from tickets so execution matches intent.
How to use it: CSS variables / design tokens for color and spacing across apps. Save the final in a shared doc; link from tickets so execution matches intent.
How to use it: Headline • subhead • bullets • CTA mapped to page sections. Save the final in a shared doc; link from tickets so execution matches intent.
How to use it: From formal to playful with examples for each channel. Save the final in a shared doc; link from tickets so execution matches intent.
Example
A fintech tightened palette tokens and shipping velocity rose because designers stopped re‑deciding shades.
Common Pitfalls & Fixes
- Logo first — Write positioning before pixels; a logo is a receipt for choices.
- Collecting adjectives — Translate adjectives into constraints (type size, palette count, tone limits).
- Feature soup — Group features by outcomes buyers feel; features support, outcomes sell.
- Guides nobody reads — One page first. Depth later. Adoption beats length.
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