Material Colors in Design: Principles, Trends, and Best PracticesColor is one of the most powerful tools a designer has. It shapes perception, establishes hierarchy, communicates brand personality, and guides users through interfaces and physical products. “Material Colors” — both as a concept tied to Google’s Material Design and as a broader term for color choices that feel tactile, layered, and purposeful — have become central to modern design systems. This article explores the principles behind material color usage, current trends, technical and accessibility considerations, and practical best practices for applying material colors across digital and physical products.
What “Material Colors” Means
Material colors can be understood in two related ways:
- As a reference to Google’s Material Design palette conventions (primary, secondary, accents, tonal palettes, surface, and background), which define consistent color roles and scales.
- As a broader aesthetic: colors that behave like “materials” — with perceived depth, reflectance, and interaction states — supporting layered surfaces and tactile interfaces.
Both meanings emphasize systematization: colors are not random; they’re defined with roles, relationships, and behavior across states.
Principles of Using Material Colors
1. Role-based Color System
Assign colors by function, not just by appearance. Typical roles:
- Primary — brand identity and main interactive elements.
- Secondary — supporting actions and accents.
- Background/Surface — base layers on which content sits.
- Error/Warning/Success — semantic colors for state feedback.
- On-color — text/icon color placed on top of a colored surface.
This role-based approach produces predictable, scalable systems.
2. Hierarchy and Contrast
Use color to create a clear visual hierarchy. Primary actions should stand out, secondary actions recede but remain discoverable. Contrast between text and background must meet accessibility thresholds (see Accessibility section).
3. Modularity and Scalability
Design palettes as modular sets: core hues plus tonal variations (lighter/darker shades). This supports theming, dark mode, and adaptive interfaces across platforms.
4. Consistency Across Contexts
Colors must behave consistently across screens, materials, and lighting conditions. Define tokens (CSS variables, design tokens) for every color role to enforce consistency across teams and platforms.
5. Materiality and Depth
Mimic real-world materials by pairing color with elevation, shadow, and surface treatments. Slightly different tints/tones for surfaces versus raised elements help communicate depth and interaction affordances.
Trends in Material Color (2024–2025)
1. Bold, Yet Muted Palettes
Designers are favoring saturated base hues tempered with muted midtones — colors that read modern and confident without feeling neon. Bold primary colors paired with desaturated backgrounds create clarity and approachability.
2. Expressive Accent Colors
Brands use striking accents for micro-interactions, hero components, and illustrations. These accents are often high-chroma and used sparingly to create moments of delight.
3. Dynamic, Context-aware Palettes
Increasingly, interfaces adapt colors based on context like time of day, user preference, or content. Dynamic theming (e.g., wallpaper-driven themes, user personalization) is mainstream on platforms and in apps.
4. Dark Mode-first Thinking
Palettes designed with dark mode in mind avoid simple inverted values. Instead, designers craft distinct dark-mode palettes to preserve contrast, reduce glare, and maintain material depth.
5. Accessibility-forward Palettes
Design teams prioritize color contrast and color-blind–friendly combinations from the start rather than as an afterthought. Tools and automated checks are part of the design pipeline.
Accessibility Considerations
Color decisions must support readability and inclusivity.
- Aim for WCAG contrast ratios: 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text, and 3:1 for UI components and graphical objects where required.
- Avoid relying on color alone to communicate state (e.g., errors). Pair color with icons, labels, or texture.
- Consider common forms of color blindness (deuteranopia, protanopia, tritanopia). Test palettes with simulation tools and choose hues that remain distinguishable in grayscale or color-blind simulations.
- Use clear on-color tokens (e.g., on-primary, on-secondary) to ensure readable foreground content on colored surfaces.
Technical Implementation
Design Tokens and Variables
Store colors as tokens (e.g., –color-primary-500, –surface-100) in your design system. Tokens allow theming, platform parity, and easier updates.
Example token categories:
- brand.primary.{50–900}
- brand.secondary.{50–900}
- surface.{background,card,elevated}
- semantic.{success,error,warning,info}
- neutral.{0–900}
Tonal Palettes and Shades
Create tonal scales (50–900 or 0–100) for each hue. This supports consistent elevation and state handling (hover/pressed/disabled).
Theming & Dark Mode
Define distinct tokens for light and dark themes rather than inverting values. For dark mode:
- Use lower chroma and increased luminance difference for elevated surfaces.
- Rebalance accents if necessary to maintain vibrancy against dark backgrounds.
Color Spaces and Color Management
Work in a color-aware workflow:
- Design in sRGB or, for higher fidelity across displays, in Display P3 where supported.
- Use tools that preserve color profiles when exporting assets.
- For precise color math (mixing, tinting), consider working in perceptual color spaces like Lab or CAM02-UCS rather than RGB.
Practical Best Practices
1. Start with a Limited Palette
Begin with 3–5 core colors: primary, secondary, neutral, and one accent. Expand into tonal scales as needed.
2. Define On-colors Explicitly
For each colored surface, define the foreground color (on-primary, on-secondary). This prevents ad-hoc decisions that break contrast.
3. Use Subtle Variations for Elevation
Instead of relying solely on shadows, differentiate surfaces with subtle tonal shifts. In light themes, elevated surfaces are slightly lighter; in dark themes, slightly darker or more saturated.
4. Reserve High-chroma Colors for Highlights
Use vivid hues sparingly for emphasis: CTAs, key icons, links, and illustrations.
5. Provide Disabled & Interaction States
Define color states for hover, focus, pressed, and disabled. Maintain contrast and clarity for each state.
6. Test with Real Content
Apply palettes to real UI examples — dashboards, forms, modals — to see how colors interact with text, data visualizations, and imagery.
7. Document Usage
Create clear guidance in your design system: when to use each token, examples, do’s and don’ts, and code snippets for engineers.
Examples & Patterns
- Primary button: primary.600 background with on-primary white (contrast meeting WCAG).
- Secondary action: neutral.200 background with primary.700 text.
- Cards: surface.card with subtle border and elevated tint on hover.
- Error state: semantic.error.600 background for banners; error.700 for icons and bold text.
(Exact tokens depend on your chosen palette and contrast needs.)
Tools and Resources
Use these types of tools in your workflow:
- Contrast checkers (WCAG validators).
- Palette generators and tonal builders.
- Color-blindness simulators.
- Design token managers (Figma tokens, Style Dictionary).
- Color-space utilities for conversions and perceptual blending.
Closing Notes
Material colors are more than pretty swatches — they’re a system that communicates function, brand, and interaction. Treat color as a structured language: define roles, ensure accessibility, design for context (including dark mode), and document rules. When done well, material palettes make interfaces feel cohesive, usable, and emotionally resonant.
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