Viet Tran presents
COLOUR
8 colour principles for everyday life
Light decides the colour you see
A shirt that looks navy in the shop can turn black at home. Colour is light bouncing off a surface, so check clothes, paint and fabric by a window in daylight before you buy.
Warm light to rest, cool light to focus
Warm, yellowish bulbs make an evening feel calm; cool, white light keeps you alert at a desk. Choose the bulb for what the room is for, not just how bright it is.
Screens are made of light
Every pixel mixes red, green and blue, so the same photo looks different on each phone, and printed colours look duller than on screen. Check important colours on the device people will actually use.
Change one thing at a time
Every colour has a hue, a strength and a lightness. When something looks “off” — a wall, a logo, an outfit — adjust only one of the three, and you’ll find the fix much faster.
Contrast makes things readable
Pale grey text on white looks elegant but tires the eyes. For signs, slides and messages, keep strong contrast between text and background — light on dark or dark on light.
One accent says “look here”
In a room, an outfit or a slide, keep most things calm and give one item a bold colour — a cushion, a scarf, a button. Opposite colours on the wheel make that accent pop.
Neighbours change colour
The same grey looks warmer next to blue and cooler next to orange. Paint a large sample on your actual wall and judge it next to your floor and furniture, not on a tiny card.
Colours carry meaning
Red means luck at Lunar New Year in Viet Nam but “warning” on a road sign; white can mean celebration or mourning. Think about who will see the colour before you use it in a gift, a card or a brand.
“Colour is light, used with intent.”
LET’S CREATE TOGETHER
Have a product, a brand or a big idea? I’d love to hear about it.