60-30-10 Rule
A color distribution formula where 60% of the design uses the dominant color, 30% uses a secondary color, and 10% uses an accent color. The standard ratio for balanced visual design.
The 60-30-10 rule prevents the two most common palette failures: monotony (everything one color) and chaos (too many competing colors). The dominant 60% sets the mood. The secondary 30% supports and creates contrast. The accent 10% draws attention to the elements that matter most, like CTAs, highlights, and key data points. Interior designers have used this ratio for decades. It works the same way on screens.
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Related Terms
Color Harmony
The pleasing arrangement of colors based on their relationships on the color wheel. Complementary, analogous, triadic, and split-complementary are the most common harmony types.
Color Palette
The defined set of colors a brand uses across all materials, typically including primary, secondary, accent, and neutral colors.
Brand Palette
The defined set of primary, secondary, and accent colors that represent a brand's visual identity across all touchpoints. More structured than a generic color palette.