Hit 47 unique color swatches on one logo project and it changed my mind about simplicity

I always thought more colors meant more flexibility until last month when I was working on a branding kit for a local restaurant in Portland. I kept adding variants and ended up with 47 swatches across different screens and print materials. Seeing them all laid out on the wall made me realize I was just confusing myself and the client. Has anyone else found a specific number of colors that works best for keeping a brand consistent?

2 comments

2 Comments

finley_walker574d ago

Oh man, 47 swatches? That is wild but I totally get how it happens. I once did a brand for a small bakery and ended up with like 30 shades of green because I couldn't stop tweaking the "right" olive tone. It was such a mess when I finally pinned them all up, I felt like I was looking at a rainbow instead of a brand. Now I force myself to cap it at 5 main colors and maybe 3 accent tones, anything more and I just end up confused and the client gets choice paralysis. How did you even decide which ones to cut from that monster pile?

emmar753d ago

Ugh, @finley_walker57 that 30 shades of green story is painful but I've been there too. I literally printed and taped them up on my wall for three days and just stared until my eyes crossed. Finally I picked the ones that looked best next to the actual logo and threw the rest in a "maybe" folder I never opened again. Honestly the trick was just picking a starting shade and only letting myself pull 3 lighter and 3 darker from it. No more than that or you lose your mind.