Color Roles•6 min read

Accent Colors: Small But Mighty

The 10% that drives 90% of your conversions.

Notice how your eye is immediately drawn to the orange button

The Power of Scarcity

Accent colors work because they're rare. Following the 60-30-10 rule, accents should appear in only about 10% of your design. This scarcity is what makes them powerful — when everything is highlighted, nothing is.

⚡ Key Principle

Every time you use your accent color, you're saying "THIS IS IMPORTANT." Use it too often, and you're crying wolf. Use it sparingly, and users will pay attention when they see it.

Where to Use Accent Colors

✓ High-Impact Uses

• Primary CTA buttons
• Notification badges
• Error/success states
• New/featured labels
• Active navigation items
• Important alerts

✗ Overuse to Avoid

• Every button on the page
• Section backgrounds
• Large text blocks
• Decorative elements
• Low-priority links
• Border colors

Choosing an Accent Color

Your accent should:

1
Contrast with your primary
If your primary is blue, consider orange or yellow. Complementary colors create natural tension.
2
Pop against your backgrounds
Test on both light and dark backgrounds. The accent should jump out in both contexts.
3
Match the action's emotion
Orange/red for urgency, green for positive actions, yellow for warnings. Color psychology matters for CTAs.

Multiple Accent Colors

Some design systems use multiple accent colors for different purposes:

Primary Accent

Main CTAs, primary actions

Success Accent

Confirmations, positive feedback

Error/Danger Accent

Errors, destructive actions

Even with multiple accents, keep total accent usage under 15% of your design.

Generate High-Impact Palettes

Our AI creates palettes with accent colors optimized for conversions and visual impact.

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