Why random palettes are worth your time
Random palettes are a fast way to unlock new ideas. Instead of iterating on the same safe choices, you can generate combinations you wouldn’t normally pick, then choose the best direction and refine it. This is especially helpful in early‑stage design, branding exploration, and fast UI prototyping.
A quick, practical way to evaluate a palette
Use this simple checklist to decide if a palette is usable:
- Contrast: Can you place text on at least one light and one dark swatch?
- Accent strength: Do one or two colors feel strong enough for buttons or highlights?
- Neutral balance: Are there softer colors suitable for backgrounds, borders, or surfaces?
- Consistency: Do the colors feel like they belong to the same visual system?
How to turn a random palette into a UI system
Assign roles instead of just picking favorites:
- Primary: the main brand or action color.
- Accent: used for alerts, badges, or highlights.
- Neutrals: background and surface colors.
- Text: high‑contrast colors for readability.
If a palette feels close, adjust lightness (HSL) or saturation to bring it into balance.
Choosing the right export format
- HEX: ideal for CSS variables and design tokens.
- RGB: best for programmatic color logic or graphics APIs.
- HSL: fastest for fine‑tuning contrast and lightness.
- HSV: useful for picker‑style workflows.
- CMYK: reference format for print work.
When to re‑roll vs refine
If the palette has good structure but lacks impact, refine it. If it feels incoherent or clashes with your brand direction, generate a new one and compare. A few iterations usually surface a strong candidate.