Welcome to Color Theory Lab
If you follow along with my weekly color posts on LinkedIn, you know I love a good palette—how it feels, where it might live, and the kind of story it might tell. But I wanted a space to take those ideas further and see what happens when we put them to use.
Color Theory Lab is that space: a low-stakes, high-fun series of quick experiments exploring how color palettes perform in the wild. Each lab session is under two hours—just enough time to bring a color story to life through things like illustrations, icon sets, or web layouts. It’s not about perfection; it’s about curiosity and creative play.
This is where we test the theory.
What Inspired This Palette
We started with a palette that immediately felt bright, fun, and full of character. Think bubblegum, bold lines, and a dash of neon.
- River Stone (#015462): A deep turquoise blue that brings contrast and a grounding element
- Scooter (#52D2D8): A bright turquoise that wasn’t in the original set but was added during the experiment; it brought a needed pop
- Perfume (#EFA2F4): A playful pink that adds a dose of delight
- Confetti (#E6E856): A bold, highlighter yellow that says “look at me” in the best way
- Surf Crest (#D3EADA): A soft sea foam green that cools things down—but doesn’t stand out on its own
Together, this palette feels made for a brand that leans more on illustrations and icons than photography—something fresh, expressive, and a little bit cheeky.
What We Made
To see this palette in action, we started with a set of illustrations.
Nothing too detailed, just simple line illustrations showing characters in everyday moments: chatting, checking a calendar, watering a plant. River Stone served as our baseline color, with Perfume, Confetti, and later Scooter as accent shades.
As we worked, we realized that Surf Crest, while lovely, didn’t have the contrast we needed for standalone elements—it tended to fade into the background. That’s where Scooter came in to balance things out, offering brightness without overpowering the group.
Next, we applied the same logic to a small set of icons. The same color roles held up: River Stone for structure, Perfume and Scooter for punch. The resulting icons felt cohesive and brand-ready—like they’d always belonged together.
We wrapped the lab with a few simple web section mockups to test layout use. Surf Crest worked beautifully as a background to break up white space, while River Stone proved to be an excellent text and headline color—dark, rich, and readable.
What We Noticed
This palette is more than just fun, it’s functional. It holds up in application and feels like it could be the backbone of a thoughtful brand system.
In this lab, we tested it on a concept for a group therapy service. But it would also feel right at home with:
- A wellness or lifestyle brand focused on mental health or mindfulness
- An ed-tech platform or creative learning tool for kids and teens
- A startup with a friendly, people-first tone that wants to stand apart from sterile tech blue
Want to see more color in action? Follow along on LinkedIn where I post new palettes weekly, and come back here for the next round of creative experiments.
Jess Watson is the CEO & Creative Director of Points North Studio. She's the co-organizer of Baltimore Womxn in Tech, a big believer in Baltimore city, and a pioneer of working remotely while traveling the globe.
