Your brand colors are one of the first things people notice about you. When you’re starting out, it’s tempting to overthink this part of your branding. But the process for choosing brand colors doesn’t have to be complicated. What matters most is understanding what your colors communicate and making sure they work together as a set.
This guide walks you through a practical process for choosing 3 to 4 colors that feel right for your business, work well together, and you can actually use across your website, emails, social media, and sales pages.
Start with what you want to convey
Before you pick a single color, get clear on what you want your brand to feel like.
Think about how you want your clients to feel when they interact with you. A brand focused on empowerment has a very different look and feel than one focused on creating calm and simplicity. Brighter colors tend to excite the mind and create energy and creativity. More muted and neutral colors tend to be calming and help people focus.
Your message and tone need to be clear first. Only once you know what you’re communicating can you decide on your colors (and fonts, logo, website design, and everything else). The colors follow your strategy, not the other way around.
How to choose brand colors by collecting inspiration
While you’re multifaceted, your brand needs to be consistent. Pick 2 or 3 main values you want your brand to convey (things like trust, creativity, calm, energy, healing, transformation, etc.). Then go to Pinterest and start pinning website designs and brand images that reflect those values.
Once you have a good collection of pins, look for patterns. Are most of them using bright colors or muted ones? Do they feel feminine and minimal, or bold and energetic? Notice what makes you gravitate toward them.
Write down 3 to 5 words that describe what all these designs have in common. Then use those words as your guide when you start choosing actual colors.
Understanding color psychology
Colors communicate things on a subconscious level. Here’s what the main colors tend to convey, though keep in mind that how you combine colors matters just as much (sometimes more) than the individual colors themselves.
Red conveys passion, courage, motivation, and determination. It’s strong and bold. It works well for coaches whose clients are ready to take action, go after something big, or work through fear.
Orange is playful, friendly, and energizing. It communicates happiness and encouragement. It works well for health coaches and anyone in the wellness space.
Yellow grabs attention and stimulates the mind. It conveys optimism, confidence, and happiness. It’s best for energetic, cheerful brands.
Green stands for growth, freshness, healing, and nature. It works well for health coaches and anyone focused on wellness or sustainability.
Blue conveys calm, trust, security, loyalty, and dependability. It has a soothing effect. It works well for coaches helping with overwhelm, anxiety, or trust issues.
Turquoise combines the calming effect of blue with the healing associations of green. It conveys compassion and sophistication. It works well for coaches in the wellness space.
Purple symbolizes spirituality, power, and ambition. It works well for coaches focused on reclaiming power or spiritual growth.
Pink (soft versions) symbolizes compassion, intimacy, and nurturing. (Bright pink) conveys power and confidence. It works well for self-love and relationship coaching.
Brown gives off an organic, wholesome vibe. It conveys reliability, honesty, and groundedness. It works well for health and wellness coaches.
Beige conveys reliability and has a warm, welcoming feel. It’s similar to brown and works well as a neutral in almost any palette.
Gray is a sophisticated neutral. It conveys reliability and timelessness. It’s a great neutral to balance more vibrant colors.
Silver (a lighter, cooler gray) is associated with glamour, high-tech, and elegance.
Gold stands for wealth, prosperity, and value. It has a traditional, luxurious feel.
Black is classic and timeless. It conveys sophistication, elegance, protection, and formality. It’s an excellent neutral for professional brands.
White conveys cleanliness, simplicity, and renewal. It creates space and breathing room. It’s useful when your goal is to calm overwhelm.
One important note: color psychology is largely cultural. White symbolizes innocence in Western cultures but mourning in many Asian cultures. If your target audience spans different cultures, research what your colors mean to them.
How to choose brand colors that work together
The way you combine colors is actually MORE important than the individual colors you pick. A teal color paired with bright accent colors feels totally different than teal paired with muted, earthy tones.
For DIY brand design, I recommend sticking with one of 3 proven color combinations. They’re all based on the color wheel, which arranges colors by temperature (warm on one side, cool on the other) and puts similar colors next to each other.
The color wheel arranges every color by temperature: warm colors (reds, oranges, yellows) on one side, cool colors (blues, greens, purples) on the other. Colors next to each other on the wheel share similar undertones, which is why the 3 combinations below all work.
1. Monochromatic color schemes
Use different shades of one single color. Light blue, medium blue, dark blue, for example. This creates a harmonious, soothing palette that’s easy on the eyes. The drawback: it can be hard to make important elements stand out. Solution: add one accent color (the opposite of your main color on the color wheel) to highlight key elements like buttons or headings.
A monochromatic palette: different shades of a single color, used for a calm and cohesive look.
The complementary color (directly opposite your main color on the wheel) makes the perfect accent, since it stands out without clashing.
2. Split complementary color schemes
Pick one main color, then use the 2 colors next to its opposite on the color wheel. This gives you 3 colors with more energy and visual interest than monochromatic. To keep it from feeling chaotic, use muted versions of these colors (softer, less bright).
A split complementary palette: one main color, plus the 2 colors on either side of its opposite.
3. Triadic color schemes
Pick 3 colors that are equally spaced around the color wheel. This creates an energetic, balanced palette that feels more complex than monochromatic but more organized than split complementary.
A triadic palette: 3 colors evenly spaced around the color wheel, for a bold and balanced look.
Keep it simple, but intentional
Most coaches do well with 3 or 4 colors total. One primary color, 1 or 2 secondary colors, and 1 neutral (usually black, white, or gray). This is enough to create visual interest and guide people’s eyes to what matters, without feeling overwhelming or chaotic.
Once you’ve chosen your palette, use it consistently everywhere: your website, email templates, social media graphics, sales pages, even your presentation slides. Consistency builds recognition. People start to see your colors and immediately think of your brand.
Ready to put your colors to work?
Once you’ve picked your palette, the next step is setting it up where you’ll actually use it. If you design in Canva (most course creators do), the fastest way to keep your colors consistent is to save them to a Canva brand kit. Here’s how to set up your Canva brand kit so your colors are one click away every time you design.
Want templates that already coordinate?
If you’d rather skip designing from scratch, my Canva template shop has ebooks, workbooks, slide decks, Pinterest pins, and social media graphics, all in 4 coordinated design styles. Pick the style closest to your brand, swap in your colors, and you have cohesive visuals across every part of your funnel without starting from a blank canvas.
