Two colours are usually enough
Most small brands I work with end up with one strong colour, one neutral and nothing else. Here is why that is a feature.
Date
Written by
Noa Varga
Journal
Short notes on design, pricing and working with small brands.
A palette of eight colours looks generous in a brand guide and gets used badly everywhere else. Printers drift, staff pick favourites, and the shop slowly turns into a rainbow.
One colour to recognise, one to rest
Ardent has black and burnt orange. Orto has olive and cream. The rule is simple enough that a new hire can follow it on their first day, without opening a PDF.
If a client needs more range, I add tints of the same two before I add a third colour.