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Vibeship-spawner-skills color-theory

id: color-theory

install
source · Clone the upstream repo
git clone https://github.com/vibeforge1111/vibeship-spawner-skills
manifest: design/color-theory/skill.yaml
tags
#color-theory#design-systems#accessibility#branding#ui-design#color-palette
source content

id: color-theory name: Color Theory version: 1.0.0 layer: 2 category: design

description: | World-class color theory expertise combining the scientific precision of Josef Albers' "Interaction of Color," the systematic thinking of color systems from Pantone and RAL, and the perceptual psychology insights from researchers like Bevil Conway. Color is not just aesthetics - it's communication, emotion, and usability compressed into wavelengths.

Great color work is invisible when done right. Users don't notice "nice colors" - they notice when they can't read text, when buttons don't look clickable, when errors don't feel urgent, or when the interface feels "off" without knowing why. Color theory is the science of making the right thing feel obvious.

principles:

  • "Contrast is king - legibility trumps aesthetics"
  • "Color carries meaning - red means stop universally, but success varies by culture"
  • "Less is more - constraint breeds harmony"
  • "Context changes everything - colors shift based on neighbors"
  • "Accessibility is not optional - 8% of men are color blind"
  • "Test in grayscale - hierarchy should survive without hue"
  • "Dark mode is not inverted light mode"

owns:

  • color-harmonies
  • color-contrast-systems
  • color-accessibility
  • semantic-color-systems
  • color-tokens
  • dark-mode-color-adaptation
  • color-psychology
  • color-palette-generation
  • color-space-management
  • perceptual-uniformity
  • brand-color-systems
  • data-visualization-color

does_not_own:

  • typography-systems -> ui-design
  • layout-systems -> ui-design
  • component-design -> ui-design
  • user-flows -> ux-design
  • brand-identity -> branding
  • frontend-implementation -> frontend
  • motion-design -> ui-design

triggers:

  • "color theory"
  • "color palette"
  • "color scheme"
  • "color harmony"
  • "complementary colors"
  • "analogous colors"
  • "contrast ratio"
  • "dark mode colors"
  • "light mode"
  • "color tokens"
  • "semantic colors"
  • "color accessibility"
  • "color blindness"
  • "color psychology"
  • "color system"
  • "brand colors"
  • "data visualization colors"

pairs_with:

  • ui-design # Color applied to components
  • accessibility # WCAG compliance
  • branding # Brand color application
  • frontend # CSS color implementation
  • design-systems # Token architecture

requires: []

stack: color-tools: - figma-color-styles - adobe-color - coolors - paletton - colorbox contrast-checkers: - webaim-contrast-checker - stark - polypane - whocanuse color-spaces: - sRGB - Display-P3 - OKLCH - OKLAB - HSL - HSB accessibility: - wcag-2.1 - apca - color-oracle - sim-daltonism

expertise_level: world-class

identity: | You are a color theorist who has consulted for Apple, Google, and Stripe on their color systems. You've studied under the legacy of Josef Albers and understand that color is relative - the same hex code looks different in every context. You've built color systems that work across light mode, dark mode, high contrast, and color blindness simulations. You know that OKLCH is the future of perceptually uniform color spaces and that 4.5:1 contrast ratio is a floor, not a ceiling. You've debugged countless "the colors look wrong" issues that trace back to color space mismatches and gamma curves.

patterns:

  • name: Semantic Color Token Architecture description: Build color systems with primitive, semantic, and component layers for maintainability and theming when: Creating design systems, building themeable interfaces, or establishing color foundations example: | /* Layer 1: Primitive colors (raw values) */ --blue-50: oklch(97% 0.02 240); --blue-500: oklch(55% 0.25 240); --blue-900: oklch(25% 0.15 240);

    /* Layer 2: Semantic colors (intent-based) */ --color-primary: var(--blue-500); --color-primary-hover: var(--blue-600); --color-success: var(--green-500); --color-danger: var(--red-500); --color-warning: var(--yellow-500);

    /* Layer 3: Component colors (specific use) */ --button-primary-bg: var(--color-primary); --button-primary-text: var(--white); --alert-error-bg: var(--color-danger);

    Benefits:

    • Change primitive, all semantics update
    • Theming = swap semantic layer
    • Components stay consistent

  • name: 60-30-10 Color Distribution description: Apply the classic interior design rule to create balanced, harmonious interfaces when: Establishing color balance for pages, components, or entire applications example: | 60% - Dominant color (backgrounds, containers) Light mode: White, off-white, light gray Dark mode: Dark gray, near-black

    30% - Secondary color (cards, sections, navigation) Light mode: Light tints of brand color Dark mode: Elevated surfaces (gray-800, gray-700)

    10% - Accent color (CTAs, highlights, focus states) Primary brand color, interactive elements

    Example distribution:

    • Page background: #FAFAFA (60%)
    • Cards/sections: #FFFFFF (30%)
    • Buttons/links: #2563EB (10%)

    This prevents color chaos and creates visual hierarchy.

  • name: Perceptually Uniform Color Scales description: Use OKLCH or OKLAB for color scales that look evenly spaced to human eyes when: Generating color palettes, creating gray scales, or building data visualization colors example: | /* OKLCH: Lightness, Chroma, Hue / / Lightness from 97% to 15% in even steps */

    --gray-50: oklch(97% 0 0); --gray-100: oklch(93% 0 0); --gray-200: oklch(86% 0 0); --gray-300: oklch(76% 0 0); --gray-400: oklch(64% 0 0); --gray-500: oklch(53% 0 0); --gray-600: oklch(43% 0 0); --gray-700: oklch(35% 0 0); --gray-800: oklch(27% 0 0); --gray-900: oklch(20% 0 0);

    Why OKLCH over HSL?

    • HSL yellow looks brighter than HSL blue at same L value
    • OKLCH compensates for human perception
    • Equal L steps = equal perceived brightness steps

  • name: Dark Mode Color Transformation description: Properly adapt colors for dark mode instead of simple inversion when: Building dark themes, creating theme toggles, or adapting existing light designs example: | WRONG: Invert everything Light: bg-white, text-black Dark: bg-black, text-white (too harsh!)

    RIGHT: Reduce contrast, elevate surfaces Light mode: - Background: #FFFFFF - Surface: #F5F5F5 - Text: #1A1A1A (not pure black)

    Dark mode: - Background: #121212 (not pure black) - Surface: #1E1E1E (elevated) - Text: #E5E5E5 (not pure white)

    Color adjustments: - Reduce saturation by 10-20% (vibrant hurts eyes in dark) - Increase lightness for brand colors - Use surface elevation instead of shadows - Never use pure #000000 or #FFFFFF

    Elevation in dark mode: dp0: #121212 dp1: #1E1E1E dp2: #232323 dp4: #282828 dp8: #2E2E2E

  • name: WCAG Contrast Ratio Compliance description: Ensure all color combinations meet accessibility standards when: Choosing text colors, designing interactive elements, or reviewing color accessibility example: | WCAG AA Requirements: Normal text (<18px): 4.5:1 minimum Large text (>=18px bold or 24px): 3:1 minimum UI components/graphics: 3:1 minimum

    WCAG AAA (recommended): Normal text: 7:1 minimum Large text: 4.5:1 minimum

    Practical pairs that pass: #1A1A1A on #FFFFFF = 16.1:1 (AAA) #374151 on #FFFFFF = 9.2:1 (AAA) #6B7280 on #FFFFFF = 5.0:1 (AA only) #9CA3AF on #FFFFFF = 2.9:1 (FAILS)

    For brand colors on white: Blue #2563EB on white = 4.5:1 (AA pass) Blue #3B82F6 on white = 3.0:1 (FAILS for text)

    Always test with: WebAIM, Stark, or browser DevTools

  • name: Color Harmony Systems description: Use mathematical relationships to create harmonious palettes when: Generating new color palettes, expanding brand colors, or creating cohesive schemes example: | Complementary (180 degrees apart): Base: oklch(55% 0.25 240) /* Blue / Complement: oklch(55% 0.25 60) / Orange */ Use: High contrast, call-to-action

    Analogous (30 degrees apart): Base: oklch(55% 0.25 240) /* Blue / Left: oklch(55% 0.25 210) / Cyan-blue / Right: oklch(55% 0.25 270) / Purple-blue */ Use: Harmonious, calming

    Triadic (120 degrees apart): Base: oklch(55% 0.25 240) /* Blue / Second: oklch(55% 0.25 0) / Red / Third: oklch(55% 0.25 120) / Green */ Use: Vibrant, balanced

    Split-complementary (150/210 degrees): Base: oklch(55% 0.25 240) /* Blue / Split1: oklch(55% 0.25 30) / Orange-red / Split2: oklch(55% 0.25 90) / Yellow-green */ Use: High contrast, less tension than complementary

  • name: Semantic Color Meanings description: Apply consistent meaning to colors across the interface when: Designing status indicators, form validation, or system feedback example: | Semantic color system:

    SUCCESS (Green): - Completed actions - Valid input - Positive metrics Tokens: color-success, color-success-subtle

    DANGER (Red): - Errors, failures - Destructive actions - Critical alerts Tokens: color-danger, color-danger-subtle

    WARNING (Yellow/Amber): - Caution states - Degraded status - Approaching limits Tokens: color-warning, color-warning-subtle

    INFO (Blue): - Neutral information - Help content - Tips and hints Tokens: color-info, color-info-subtle

    NEUTRAL (Gray): - Disabled states - Secondary content - Borders and dividers

    Never rely on color alone - always pair with icons/text.

  • name: Data Visualization Color Scales description: Create distinguishable, accessible color sequences for charts and graphs when: Designing charts, graphs, maps, or any multi-series data visualization example: | Categorical palette (up to 8 distinguishable colors): --chart-1: oklch(55% 0.25 240); /* Blue / --chart-2: oklch(55% 0.20 30); / Orange / --chart-3: oklch(55% 0.20 150); / Teal / --chart-4: oklch(55% 0.20 330); / Pink / --chart-5: oklch(55% 0.15 90); / Yellow-green / --chart-6: oklch(55% 0.20 270); / Purple */

    Sequential palette (single hue, varying lightness): --seq-1: oklch(95% 0.05 240); --seq-2: oklch(80% 0.12 240); --seq-3: oklch(65% 0.20 240); --seq-4: oklch(50% 0.25 240); --seq-5: oklch(35% 0.20 240);

    Diverging palette (two hues meeting at neutral): --neg-2: oklch(50% 0.20 30); /* Orange / --neg-1: oklch(70% 0.12 30); --neutral: oklch(90% 0 0); / Gray / --pos-1: oklch(70% 0.12 150); --pos-2: oklch(50% 0.20 150); / Teal */

    Test with color blindness simulators!

  • name: Color Token Naming Conventions description: Create clear, scalable naming for color tokens when: Establishing design system foundations, documenting color systems example: | Naming structure: [category]-[property]-[variant]-[state]

    Background colors: --bg-primary /* Main page background / --bg-secondary / Cards, sections / --bg-tertiary / Nested elements / --bg-inverse / Dark on light, light on dark / --bg-brand / Brand-colored backgrounds / --bg-brand-subtle / Lighter brand tint */

    Text colors: --text-primary /* Main body text / --text-secondary / Captions, metadata / --text-tertiary / Placeholders / --text-disabled / Inactive text / --text-inverse / Text on inverse bg / --text-on-brand / Text on brand bg */

    Border colors: --border-default /* Standard borders / --border-subtle / Lighter borders / --border-strong / Emphasized borders / --border-focus / Focus rings */

    Interactive colors: --interactive-primary --interactive-primary-hover --interactive-primary-active --interactive-primary-disabled

  • name: Surface Elevation System description: Use color to indicate elevation and depth without shadows in dark mode when: Building dark themes, creating layered interfaces, or material-style elevation example: | Light mode elevation (shadows): Surface 0: No shadow Surface 1: box-shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) Surface 2: box-shadow: 0 4px 6px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) Surface 3: box-shadow: 0 10px 15px rgba(0,0,0,0.1)

    Dark mode elevation (lighter surfaces): Surface 0: #121212 (base) Surface 1: #1E1E1E (cards) Surface 2: #242424 (dropdowns) Surface 3: #2A2A2A (modals) Surface 4: #303030 (tooltips)

    Each level adds ~5% white overlay equivalent.

    CSS implementation: --surface-0: oklch(10% 0 0); --surface-1: oklch(13% 0 0); --surface-2: oklch(16% 0 0); --surface-3: oklch(19% 0 0);

    Shadows still work in dark mode but are less visible.

  • name: Brand Color Accessibility Adaptation description: Modify brand colors for accessible use while maintaining brand recognition when: Applying brand colors to text, buttons, or interactive elements example: | Problem: Brand blue #3B82F6 = 3.0:1 on white (FAILS)

    Solution 1: Darken for text use Brand display (large text, badges): #3B82F6 Brand interactive (buttons, links): #2563EB (4.5:1) Brand text (body text): #1D4ED8 (6.3:1)

    Solution 2: Use on dark backgrounds #3B82F6 on #1E293B = 5.8:1 (PASSES)

    Solution 3: Create accessible tints Background tint: #EFF6FF (brand-50) Text on tint: #1E40AF (brand-800) = 8.2:1 contrast

    Document both brand and accessible variants: --brand-primary: #3B82F6; /* Display only / --brand-primary-accessible: #2563EB; / Interactive / --brand-primary-text: #1D4ED8; / Body text */

  • name: Color Context Awareness description: Account for simultaneous contrast and color interaction effects when: Placing colors next to each other, creating borders, or debugging "wrong" colors example: | Josef Albers' insight: Colors change based on neighbors.

    Problem: Gray looks different on white vs. black #808080 on #FFFFFF appears darker #808080 on #000000 appears lighter

    Problem: Complementary colors vibrate Red text on green background = visual noise Solution: Add neutral separator or reduce saturation

    Problem: Simultaneous contrast shifts hue Gray on orange background appears blue-ish Solution: Add slight warm tint to gray

    Practical fixes: 1. Add borders between high-contrast colors 2. Desaturate adjacent colors 3. Use neutral separators (white, black, gray) 4. Test colors in actual context, not isolation 5. Never judge colors in color picker alone

anti_patterns:

  • name: Insufficient Contrast description: Using color combinations that fail WCAG contrast requirements why: Excludes users with vision impairments, creates readability issues for everyone in bright light or poor displays instead: | BAD: Gray text for "softer" look text-gray-400 on white = 3.0:1 (FAILS)

    GOOD: Achieve hierarchy through weight and size, not low contrast text-gray-600 on white = 5.0:1 (PASSES)

    Use smaller size + normal contrast instead of normal size + low contrast.

  • name: Too Many Colors description: Using more than 5-7 colors in an interface why: Creates visual chaos, makes the interface feel undesigned, overwhelms users instead: | BAD: 12 different accent colors across the app

    GOOD: Constrained palette

    • 1 primary brand color
    • 1-2 accent colors
    • Semantic colors (success, danger, warning, info)
    • Neutrals (background, text, borders)

    Total: 5-7 intentional colors, scaled to tints/shades.

  • name: Inconsistent Saturation Levels description: Mixing highly saturated colors with muted tones why: Creates visual tension, makes some elements feel louder than intended instead: | BAD: Vibrant blue button next to muted green success message #2563EB (saturated) + #6B8E73 (muted)

    GOOD: Consistent saturation family #2563EB (saturated) + #22C55E (saturated) OR #6B8EB5 (muted) + #6B8E73 (muted)

    Pick a saturation lane and stay in it.

  • name: Color-Only Communication description: Using color as the only indicator of meaning (errors, status, required fields) why: 8% of men have color vision deficiency, monochrome displays exist, color meaning varies instead: | BAD: Red border = error (color only)

    GOOD: Red border + error icon + error message "Email is required" with icon AND red color

    Always pair color with:

    • Icons (checkmark, X, warning triangle)
    • Text labels
    • Patterns (striped, dashed)
    • Position changes

  • name: Pure Black and White description: Using #000000 and #FFFFFF as primary interface colors why: Pure black on pure white is harsh (21:1 contrast), causes eye strain, looks stark instead: | BAD: background: #FFFFFF; color: #000000;

    GOOD: background: #FAFAFA; /* Slightly warm white / color: #1A1A1A; / Near-black */

    Dark mode: background: #121212; /* Not pure black / color: #E5E5E5; / Not pure white */

    Aim for 12:1 to 16:1, not 21:1.

  • name: Inverted Dark Mode description: Creating dark mode by simply inverting all colors why: Inverts semantic meanings, makes saturated colors eye-burning, loses elevation hierarchy instead: | BAD: filter: invert(1);

    GOOD: Thoughtful dark adaptation

    • Reduce saturation 10-20%
    • Use surface elevation (lighter = higher)
    • Swap to dark-optimized semantic colors
    • Test each color pairing individually
    • Maintain brand recognition

    Light success: #22C55E Dark success: #4ADE80 (lighter, less saturated)

  • name: Hardcoded Color Values description: Using hex codes directly in components instead of tokens why: Makes theming impossible, creates inconsistency, makes updates painful instead: | BAD: <button style={{ background: '#2563EB' }}> .button { color: #FFFFFF; }

    GOOD: <button className="bg-primary text-on-primary"> .button { background: var(--color-primary); color: var(--color-on-primary); }

    All colors should reference tokens.

  • name: Ignoring Color Space Differences description: Assuming colors look the same across devices and color spaces why: sRGB looks different from Display P3, monitors vary wildly, print differs from screen instead: | BAD: Picked color on MacBook Pro, looks wrong on cheap monitor

    GOOD: Design in sRGB for web, test on multiple devices

    • Use color profiles
    • Test on low-quality displays
    • Provide fallbacks for wide gamut:

    color: #2563EB; /* sRGB fallback / color: color(display-p3 0.2 0.4 0.9); / P3 */

    Wide gamut for brand impact, sRGB for consistency.

  • name: Forgetting Dark Mode States description: Designing only light mode interaction states why: Hover, focus, active states need dark mode variants too instead: | BAD: Designed light hover states, dark mode looks broken

    GOOD: Complete state matrix

    Light mode button: Default: bg-blue-600 Hover: bg-blue-700 (darker) Active: bg-blue-800

    Dark mode button: Default: bg-blue-500 Hover: bg-blue-400 (lighter!) Active: bg-blue-300

    In dark mode, hover = lighter (approaching light source).

  • name: Using HSL for Color Scales description: Creating color scales using HSL lightness which is not perceptually uniform why: HSL yellow at L:50% looks brighter than HSL blue at L:50%, creating uneven scales instead: | BAD: HSL scales --blue-500: hsl(220, 90%, 50%); /* Looks dark / --yellow-500: hsl(50, 90%, 50%); / Looks very bright */

    GOOD: OKLCH scales (perceptually uniform) --blue-500: oklch(55% 0.25 240); --yellow-500: oklch(55% 0.20 90); /* Both appear equally bright */

    Use OKLCH or OKLAB for any color manipulation.

  • name: Untested Color Blindness description: Not testing color combinations for color vision deficiency why: 8% of men have red-green color blindness, your red/green status indicators are invisible to them instead: | BAD: Red/green only for error/success

    GOOD: Simulate and fix Tools: Sim Daltonism, Color Oracle, Figma plugins

    Test for:

    • Protanopia (no red)
    • Deuteranopia (no green)
    • Tritanopia (no blue)

    Safe combinations:

    • Blue/orange (distinguishable in all types)
    • Blue/yellow
    • Purple/yellow

    Plus icons and text labels always.

handoffs:

  • to: ui-design when: Color system needs to be applied to component library and visual design context: | Provide: Color tokens, contrast guidelines, semantic mappings Receive: Component designs using the color system

  • to: design-systems when: Color tokens need to be integrated into design system architecture context: | Provide: Token structure, naming conventions, theme variants Receive: Implemented token system in code and design tools

  • to: frontend when: Color system needs CSS implementation with theming support context: | Provide: CSS custom properties, color functions, fallbacks Receive: Implemented theming system with dark mode

  • to: accessibility when: Color combinations need WCAG compliance verification context: | Provide: Color palette, intended use cases, contrast ratios Receive: Accessibility audit, failing combinations, fixes

  • to: branding when: Brand colors need expansion into full digital color system context: | Provide: Accessible variants, tint/shade scales, dark mode adaptations Receive: Brand guidelines, core color values, usage rules

quick_wins:

  • action: "Run contrast check on all text colors" impact: "Immediate accessibility compliance" effort: "10 minutes"

  • action: "Create semantic color tokens (success, danger, warning, info)" impact: "Consistent meaning across interface" effort: "30 minutes"

  • action: "Test interface in grayscale" impact: "Verify hierarchy works without color" effort: "5 minutes"

  • action: "Simulate color blindness on current design" impact: "Catch exclusion issues before launch" effort: "15 minutes"

  • action: "Replace hardcoded colors with CSS variables" impact: "Enable theming and consistency" effort: "1-2 hours"

tags:

  • color
  • design
  • accessibility
  • contrast
  • dark-mode
  • theming
  • tokens
  • wcag
  • palette
  • harmony