Part 2 : colour

Building a design system — where to start?

(Non Medium members can read this article for free here)

Colour, space and typography — these elements are the building blocks for a solid design system. They are distinctive visual elements to focus on when building a brand. Lets take a closer look at colour…

illustration by Ouch.pics

What we’ll be covering…

Part 1 — First things first
Part 2 — Colour
Part 3 — Size and spacing
Part 4 — Typography
Part 5 — Bonus elements

Colour

A fundamental building block in your design system is colour. Colour is everywhere and will persist in everything you’ll build. From outlines to backgrounds and components, these are made visible to the eye through the use of colour.

Things to consider…

Nathan Curtis has 16 Tips for Setting Up a System That Endures in reference to colour and goes into detail on each point. I’ve highlighted seven of them here worth noting.

1. Stabilise Brand Colours Quickly — Decide your essential brand colours early, because they spread widely, quickly.
2. Involve Brand (If You Alter a Brand Colour) — Brand…