15 Color Scheme Ideas for Your Next Project

Choosing the perfect colors for your project isn’t easy. You have to consider those already associated with your brand, as well as the emotional impact of specific schemes. Once you narrow your options down to a few shades, you have to ensure the hues work together. Certain color scheme ideas will work better for one project than others.

Researchers examined studies on product packaging, color and consumer responses. Then, they looked at 278 people between the ages of 18 and 35. The results indicate product packaging — the colors, materials, fonts, design, etc. — has a significant impact on consumer purchases.

People use color to differentiate between brands and make an emotional connection. Coming up with color scheme ideas isn’t easy. However, a great place to start is by looking at what’s been successful in the past.

1. Yellow, Blue and Black

Looking for something dramatic to capture users’ attention? Third and Grove uses a beautiful combination of contrasting colors.

To find the palettes for the example sites, use the tool Color Combos and a Chrome extension called Site Palette. You can also install Chrome extensions that pull colors right from the site. Whenever you see a design you like, even if it’s in an unrelated industry, take note. This brand uses medium yellow with a bit of a mustard tinge, black and a light blue.

2. Tan, Dark Copper and Taupe

Daphne Launay’s website features tan, deep copper and gentle taupe. Color scheme ideas often head for deep, vibrant colors, but this design uses soft hues.

The images on the site, a copper-headed model with peach-toned skin, complement the palette. The small green accent contrasts nicely with the neutral colors. Plus, the typography is a neutral white. Choosing the perfect colors to match one another takes years of design experience and attention to detail.

3. Muted Blues

The subtle shades of blue on the site Fishing the Feed create a surreal take on color scheme ideas. The design almost looks like a watercolor painting, tying into the concept of fishing. You can create a similar look by using multiple shades of the same color. You could use any hue you prefer, from green to red or orange.

4. Pinks and Purples

If you’re considering color scheme ideas, remember that bright hues give you a modern edge. You can also do it in a way that doesn’t look overly feminine.

Young and Hyperactive is a hip design firm in Germany. They use masks with pink and purple tones to create a bright, engaging site. With a lot of shades, you may wind up with a color scheme that has more than a few colors.

5. Red, Yellow and Blue

Want to make a strong statement? Choose color scheme ideas with bold colors, such as red and yellow. Then, combine the primary colors to draw in a third shade, as Hey Noodles does.

Notice how they use yellow, red and blue to create a striking look? A little white is tossed in to break up the colors and give the eyes a break.

6. Neutrals

Semiwoven uses a lot of neutral colors in their design, creating a luxurious look and feel for their unique furnishings. Since their products use a lot of natural materials, the design works well with the pre-established colors.

Note that the majority of the soft neutrals come from photographs of furniture. Color scheme ideas don’t have to use bright hues to make a statement.

7. Seafoam Green

AGLens is part of Anti Grvty and uses a soft, seafoam green as the backdrop. This color isn’t something you’d immediately consider when showcasing scientific advances in augmented reality. However, it works well with the other colors on the page, such as the dark blue and white.

Seafoam green is unexpected, which can work in your favor if people peruse sites similar to yours.

8. Green Focal Point

Maha Microfinance uses a bright apple green for their color scheme ideas. Then, they pull in complementary colors with off white and silver. The result is a site that speaks about what they do, which is finance agricultural pursuits.

The site has a natural feel. Plus, the images enhance the message with growing food and leaves.

9. Green and Soft Contrasts

An exciting cross between modern and traditional is the use of a main primary color and jarring, contrasting shades. Consider a soft yellow, gentle orange and dazzling red.

You don’t typically see these colors with green. However, they work well with just the right shade, such as on the site Noiz! Think about tones you usually wouldn’t see on a list of color scheme ideas, such as purple, green and orange.

10. Main Color Pages

The Prevint site uses purple in varying levels of boldness with a splash of tan, black and white for detail. They use different colors for each page. However, the overall look is cohesive with an illustrated image and a single hue.

This particular page uses deep violet, lilac purpose and a sandy brown. The colors change as you move around the site.

11. Bumblebee

Some of the best designs mimic nature. When looking for color scheme ideas, study the patterns in plants and creatures, such as butterflies.

This bumblebee color palette on the site Glyphy features a vivid yellow with black text. It’s a straightforward design that grabs attention without tons of bells and whistles. The style is considered minimalist.

12. Fruit Salad

The site Miwango sells dried mango and similar items. They use tones you’d find in a fruit salad for their color palette.

If you want to show a connection with nature, go to the actual products you sell to identify hues. Here are the colors used by Miwango, along with a soft yellow and some neutrals.

13. Gradient Color Palette

Bruno Simon uses shades of peach to create a gradient map on their home page. Other colors on the page include a light lime, white and a red truck.

The overall effect is soft and calming. Note the three shades of orange as the color fades down the page.

14. Soft Blue

Blue almost becomes a neutral color on the Cryptic Cup landing page. It’s such a soft shade of blue that the black text contrasts sharply. You can find a few grays on the page, as well. This choice of hue matches almost every color.

15. Pretty in Pink

What’s the best way to highlight a pink product, such as the Google Pixelbook Go? With a pink design, of course.

The primary colors on this project are cavern pink with text in contrasting colors, like black.

Planning Your Next Project? Choose the Best Palette

The examples above should serve as inspiration for how to use color in your own design. The shades and combinations should be unique to each project.

Try different versions until you find just the right shades. Remember the basic rules of contrast between the background and page elements. With a little practice, you’ll easily create your own beautiful schemes.