We begin with a short brief. We ask what the business stands for, who the customers are, what feelings the brand should create, and where colour will appear: website, app, packaging, signs, uniforms, vehicles, social posts, brochures and documents. We also note existing colours you must keep, such as a logo already printed on stock, and colours you dislike. Then we study context. We collect the colours used by competitors and by respected brands in your sector, to avoid blending in with them and to understand customer expectations. For example, a children’s clinic and a corporate law firm usually need different tones. We look at the cultural meanings of colours in your markets, remembering that associations differ by region and are not rules. Next we explore directions. We develop two or three palette options, each with a primary colour, one or two supporting colours and a neutral set, presented in realistic mock-ups such as a homepage header, a business card, a social post and a sign, so you can judge colour in use, not as isolated swatches. We explain the logic behind each: warm or cool, calm or energetic, traditional or modern. After you choose a direction, we refine it. We adjust hue, saturation and brightness, test the colours side by side, and build tints and shades for hover states, backgrounds and charts. We run contrast checks for text on every background, aiming for at least the recommended web accessibility ratios, and we test how the palette looks for people with common colour-vision differences. We also check how it prints. Screen colours and printed colours differ, so we provide CMYK values and, where appropriate, Pantone matches, and we test a printed proof when possible. We define the final palette with names, codes and purposes: for example, a primary for logos and key buttons, a secondary for headings and icons, an accent for highlights and alerts, and neutrals for text and backgrounds. We write usage rules: approximate proportions, such as 60 percent neutral, 30 percent primary and 10 percent accent; which colours may sit together; which may carry text; how to use dark and light versions; and common mistakes like adding new shades, using the accent for body text or placing the logo on clashing backgrounds. We prepare swatch files for design software, a web style sheet with colour variables, and a one-page palette sheet. We then check the palette against your existing assets and suggest which need updating, for instance the website theme, social graphics and templates; see social media post designs and brand presentation templates. If you are refreshing an old identity, we also compare old and new and plan a gradual change; see brand identity refresh. We cannot promise that a new palette will raise sales, and personal taste will always vary, but a documented palette makes every future design faster and more consistent.
