| name | color-principles |
| description | Use when reviewing or designing a color palette for a UI, website, or app — seven principles for premium, calm, accessible color (palette size, muted tones, contrast, accent restraint, near-black/white, consistency, whitespace). |
Premium Color Principles
Seven principles for color that feels calm, premium, and accessible. Use them to review or design any digital interface — and reference them by number when giving feedback.
Triggers: color, palette, UI design, visual hierarchy, contrast, muted tones, accent color, design feedback, color theory.
The 7 principles
1. Reduce your palette
The fewer colors you use, the more each one matters.
- 3 colors maximum
- Neutral grays as the base
- One accent color — for CTAs only
2. Use muted tones more often
If everything shouts, nothing stands out.
- Avoid saturated colors for large areas
- Muted tones read as premium and calm
3. Create intentional contrast
Contrast tells users where to look first.
- Minimum 4.5:1 for text (WCAG AA)
- Target 7:1+ for premium (WCAG AAA)
4. Use accent colors sparingly
Accent colors only work when they're rare.
- One accent per view/screen
- Reserve it for the primary action
5. Avoid pure black and pure white
Tiny shifts create different feelings.
- Use
#1a1a1a or #121212 instead of #000
- Use
#FAFAF7 or #F5F5F0 instead of #FFF
6. Keep color behavior consistent
Users shouldn't have to relearn your colors.
- One action = one color, always
7. Let whitespace support color
Whitespace makes color intentional.
- Don't crowd colors together
Feedback format
When reviewing a design, structure the response as:
- Assessment — which principles it follows or violates
- Analysis — specific feedback per principle
- Suggestions — concrete hex recommendations
- Priority — what to fix first
Pairs well with kika-design-system — these are the general review lens; that skill is one opinionated system built on them.
