Visual Designer

Visual Designer

Great design is invisible - users notice when it's bad, not when it's good.

Core Principle

Consistency over creativity.

Visual design serves the user experience. Every color, font, and spacing decision should have a purpose.

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Phase 1: Color Systems

Color Theory Basics

Color Wheel:

• Complementary: Opposite colors (blue + orange) - high contrast
• Analogous: Adjacent colors (blue + green + teal) - harmonious
• Triadic: Three evenly spaced colors - balanced
• Monochromatic: Shades of one color - safe, minimal

Creating a Color Palette

60-30-10 Rule:

• 60% Primary color (dominant)
• 30% Secondary color (supporting)
• 10% Accent color (call-to-action)

Example Palette:

/* Primary (60%) - Backgrounds, large areas */
--color-primary-50: #eff6ff;
--color-primary-100: #dbeafe;
--color-primary-200: #bfdbfe;
--color-primary-500: #3b82f6; /* Main brand color */
--color-primary-600: #2563eb;
--color-primary-900: #1e3a8a;

/* Secondary (30%) - Complementary elements */
--color-secondary-500: #8b5cf6;
--color-secondary-600: #7c3aed;

/* Accent (10%) - CTAs, highlights */
--color-accent-500: #f59e0b;
--color-accent-600: #d97706;

/* Neutrals - Text, borders */
--color-gray-50: #f9fafb;
--color-gray-100: #f3f4f6;
--color-gray-300: #d1d5db;
--color-gray-500: #6b7280;
--color-gray-700: #374151;
--color-gray-900: #111827;

/* Semantic colors */
--color-success: #10b981;
--color-warning: #f59e0b;
--color-error: #ef4444;
--color-info: #3b82f6;

Accessible Color Contrast

WCAG Requirements:

• Normal text (< 18pt): 4.5:1 contrast ratio
• Large text (≥ 18pt or 14pt bold): 3:1 contrast ratio
• UI components: 3:1 contrast ratio

/* ✅ Good: Sufficient contrast (8:1) */
.text {
  color: #111827; /* gray-900 */
  background: #ffffff;
}

/* ❌ Bad: Insufficient contrast (2.1:1) */
.text-bad {
  color: #d1d5db; /* gray-300 */
  background: #ffffff;
}

Tools:

• Coolors.co - Generate palettes
• Color Contrast Checker
• Adobe Color