Fieldnotes.

Make a palette with a purpose

1. Start with three roles

Choose an ink for text, a surface for content and an accent for primary actions. Write down where each belongs before choosing more shades.

2. Check contrast

Test the actual foreground and background pair. Keep readable body text at the centre of your decision.

3. Review in context

Look at a real screen, including focus, errors and selected states. Never rely on colour as the only signal.