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Creating my brand palette was one of the first things I did when I first started my business.

I loved my palette so much when I made it and even though I have tweaked it since, I still like the original.

After seeing a lot of different brand colour palettes over the years, I find that my favourites are all balanced.

No matter the colours, making a balanced palette has helped me so much!

So how exactly did I do it?

Let's get into the steps I took to create my colour palette and the changes I made along the way!

How to Choose Brand Colours

Quick thing before we get into it.

This may not be how other people choose their palettes, but it is the process I used for mine and I LOVE my colours.

Things have changed since I first made my brand's colour palette but even as the years went by I always focused on balance.

That's why neutrals are just as important as bold colours.

It took me a while to figure this out, but just because a colour is bold doesn't mean it's more important than a softer or neutral colour.

For example, when I'm designing websites, I often use things like very light grays or creams to separate sections.

It's so subtle but it takes the look of my graphics to a completely different level.

Alright, get a pen and paper because it's time to pick some colours!

What Feeling Do You Want to Give Your Audience?

Colours are one of the very first things your viewers will notice.

Whether it's your website, Instagram, or wherever else you will use these brand colours.

That's why it's so important to make sure the feeling your colours give your viewers are the feelings you want.

If you want to give the feelings of trust, happiness, excitement, romance, or growth, keep that in mind when choosing.

I'd suggest you do some research on the emotions or the feelings different colours give, especially before picking your main colour.

For example, if you want a more cozy palette that brings out very happy, soft, and comforting feelings then make sure you're choosing colours that emphasize them.

Your Main Colour

I would recommend choosing your main colour first because then you can build everything else around it.

As I said before, look at the emotions connected to each colour so that you have more information before choosing your colour.

Remember, your main colour is going to be everywhere.

It is going to probably be the main colour associated with you and your brand so make sure it is not only good for your business but for your too.

That's exactly why I chose green as my main colour.

I like the emotions it invokes and I also really like green. To me, that's a huge plus to choosing my colours.

You will probably be seeing your colours more than anyone else, so you should like it too, right?

Also, before picking your colour, think about how bold or light you want it to be.

Depending on your brand, you might want to be lighter or darker, such as how I chose a lighter green.

Make sure you think about it first before choosing!

A Complementary Colour

Next, pick a complementary colour that looks good beside your main colour.

I usually decide this by looking at a colour wheel and thinking about what goes well with my main colour that isn't a different shade of my main colour.

For example, I have seen lighter teals go well with mustard yellows because of where they are on the colour wheel.

If I still don't know even after looking at the colour wheel, then I put different colours beside my main colour and see which one I think looks the best.

After choosing your complementary colour, I like to look at my main colour and pick either a light or dark version depending on how light or dark the original complementary colour is.

I have a darker green that I use thanks to this.

A quick tip: I don't like to make massive colour palettes as it can be hard to keep track of and may make the brand feel all over the place.

Other Colours

Having colours similar to your main colour but in a slightly different part of the colour wheel can really bring your palette together.

I use teals of a similar shade to my main colour (green) because it feels on-brand for me even though they are different colours.

If your main colour is on the warmer side of its colour, choose some colder colours that are a similar shade as your main colour.

Shifting towards another colour here can be a good thing.

Your Base Colours

Having neutrals you can use is important too!

I find it can help subtly break up sections in things like your website.

I love to use them as a little part of something different in a graphic that doesn't draw the eye away from the focal point.

When I first made my colour palette, I didn't have these.

HUGE mistake.

I now use them everywhere.

Very light creams or grays can be absolute game changers when you're making your graphics.

They add a little extra detail and I find they don't take any attention away from anything else because they are so subtle.

That being said, make sure they're subtle!

Don't Forget Your Fonts

We can't forget about our font colour!

Sometimes you're going to use the colours we already have for titles and such to add a pop of colour, and that's a good thing, but what about long paragraphs?

You can go for black, but maybe a very dark version of your main colour could look better.

Think about that before choosing black for your fonts.

Even though I say this, I myself use black.

Use whatever you like the most but don't rule out different colours!

Change is Good!

It's normal for things to change over time.

My business's colour palette started out with colder blues but since starting this blog, both I and my business have shifted.

You can see that in the colour palette I use now which is much cozier with a soft light green being my new main colour.

Don't be afraid if you aren't liking the colours you started out with down the line.

For me, it was because I knew my business better than when I first started and it was time for a change.

You, Your Business, and Your Colours Can Change.

Adding to my last point, as time goes on things should change.

It means you're growing as a person and so is the life around you!

My business started out mainly as a VA service.

Even though I still am a VA, after starting this blog I knew that the colder colours I chose a year before weren't going to work anymore.

And I love my colours now, but that doesn't mean things won't change in the future.

It's ok to change your colours, but keep these tips in mind when you're picking your new ones!

What Brand Colours Are You Going to Choose?

Thanks for reading this far!

Picking colours can feel overwhelming, so you should feel happy that you went ahead and did the research.

If you want to chat about anything I mentioned in this blog post, I'd love it if you DM me on Instagram!

See you soon!

Isabella