kunterbunt / design

Design notes / Colour & order

More colour.
Less
guesswork.

Good design makes a decision easier: where should I look, what belongs together, and what matters now?

A palette needs roles.

The base

A calm base supports longer texts and holds different kinds of content together. It does not have to be pure white. What matters is that type, lines and small details remain easy to see even in less-than-ideal light. Test the surface with real content rather than an empty swatch.

The guide

An accent colour can connect headings, links or important terms. When everything receives equal attention, there is no focal point. Give the accent a defined job and repeat it deliberately. A single blue link can be more helpful than five competing colourful boxes.

The counterpoint

A second distinctive colour adds tension to a system. Use it where content genuinely plays a different role, such as an example or an open question. The counterpoint complements the order. It does not need to appear at every opportunity.

More than making things bigger

A clear path through the text.

Size, weight, spacing and position work together to create hierarchy. Start with three levels: title, subheading and body text. Only add another level once these are clearly distinct. Many nearly identical gradations often feel less decisive than a few clear differences.

DESIGN EXAMPLEStart
today.

A short thought gets room.

A detail follows quietly below.

An exercise with paper and pen

Four panels.
One message.

  1. Divide a sheet into four equal rectangles. Write the same short sentence in each one.
  2. Change only the type size in the first panel, only the spacing in the second, and only the colour in the third.
  3. In the final panel, combine the two decisions that best support the message.
  4. Put the sheet aside briefly. Later, check which panel you understand first and why.

The exercise separates effect from taste. “I like it” is a good start, but “This helps me identify the next step faster” is more precise. Record both. Design can have a distinctive appearance and remain understandable at the same time.

Putting decisions to the test.

What helps when a design feels too crowded?

First remove one type variation and one accent colour. Bring related information together through proximity. Only then add something back. Open space is not unused leftover space; it reveals relationships and gives the eye a pause.

How can colour be used more accessibly?

Communicate a difference through words, shape or position as well. A notice should not be identifiable solely because it is red. Check text contrasts with a suitable tool and view the design in greyscale too. Small type requires particular care.

The original shapes demonstrate how colour, spacing and weight change the effect of a design.

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Which design raises questions for you?

Organising colours, developing a hierarchy or adapting an exercise: email us with your general questions and suggestions about visual design.