This course offers a comprehensive foundation in color theory, blending the science and art of color to help designers create visually compelling and inclusive projects. Students will explore how light, vision, and materials influence perception, while mastering practical applications like the color wheel, palette building, and color systems for both digital and physical environments.
Students will also build practical color theory skills by exploring color psychology, cultural meaning, and accessibility standards while mastering the color wheel, palette development, and digital and print color systems such as RGB, CMYK, and Hex. These principles are applied to create cohesive, brand-aligned, and visually impactful design solutions.
By completing this course, you will have developed expertise in:
Understand the science of color: Light, vision, pigments, and phenomena like metamerism.
Apply color systems: RGB, CMYK, Hex, and standardized naming for clear communication.
Master the color wheel: Create harmonies and distinguish between warm, cool, and neutral tones.
Manipulate properties and contrast: Hue, saturation, chroma, tints, tones, shades, and visual emphasis.
Use color psychology and cultural insights: Design palettes that influence mood and communication across audiences.
Build professional palettes: Develop thematic, brand-aligned, and surface-specific palettes in both digital and physical formats.
Course Curriculum
Lesson 1: The Science of Color & Color Systems
How Color Shapes Perception (2m 26s)
The Science of Light & Color (4m 41s)
Early Color Theory Origins (3m 12s)
Additive & Subtractive Color (2m 34s)
Pigments & Color Naming (4m 24s)
Standardized Color Systems (2m 57s)
Color & Surface Materials (7m 25s)
Natural vs. Artificial Light (6m 59s)
Color Perception Effects (4m 23s)
Communicating Color in Design (2m 49s)
Lesson 2: The Color Wheel & its Harmonies
Understanding the Color Wheel (2m 43s)
Primary, Secondary, & Tertiary Colors (1m 45s)
Warm & Cool Colors (2m 24s)
The Color Wheel in Grayscale (2m 24s)
Working with Neutrals (1m 54s)
What Is Color Harmony? (2m 19s)
Basic Color Harmonies (4m 9s)
Advanced Color Harmonies (3m 25s)
Neutral Color Harmonies (4m)
Essential Color Tools (3m 26s)
Lesson 3: Color Properties & Contrast
Color Properties Overview (2m 50s)
Hue, Saturation, & Value (6m 35s)
Tint, Tone, & Shade (4m 24s)
The Munsell Color System (5m 5s)
Color Models Explained (4m 47s)
Itten & Albers (3m 29s)
Advanced Color Phenomena (3m 27s)
Color Vision Assessment (3m 19s)
Color & Space Applications (2m 42s)
Color & Space in Interiors (2m 25s)
Lesson 4: Color Psychology & Inspiration
What Is Color Psychology? (2m 54s)
Western Color Meanings (3m 39s)
Advanced Western Color Meanings (3m 57s)
Global Color Meanings (4m 56s)
Interior Color by Demographic (4m 42s)
Age and Color Perception (3m 31s)
Finding Color Inspiration (4m 55s)
Advanced Color Inspiration (5m 1s)
Building a Color Library (4m 24s)
Digital Color Libraries (4m 3s)
Lesson 5: Color in Branding and Palettes
Color Psychology in Branding (3m 53s)
Brand Consistency in Spaces (4m 24s)
Building Client Palettes (4m 10s)
Presenting Color Palettes (3m 55s)
Talking About Color (2m 34s)
Color Harmony Ideas (3m 5s)
Aesthetic Palette Styles (3m 34s)
Time Period Palettes (3m 26s)
Contemporary Palettes (Part 1) (4m 13s)
Contemporary Palettes (Part 2) (4m 1s)
Lesson 6: Undertones, Accessibility, and Forward Thinking
Understanding Color Undertones (2m 31s)
Undertones in Materials & Light (4m 28s)
Mixing Undertones for Harmony (2m 19s)
Introduction to Color Deficiencies (3m 20s)
Designing for Accessibility (3m 41s)
Accessible Color Palettes (3m 50s)
Color & Safety (3m 8s)
Working as a Color Consultant (3m 30s)
Chromotherapy Basics (2m 9s)
Material Color Experts (3m 15s)
