Designing for a single accent colour

A palette of one accent on a dark ground sounds like a limitation. In practice it removes a whole category of decision and makes the remaining ones obvious.

Why one colour

When only one thing on the page can be coloured, that colour becomes meaningful. It marks what is interactive, what is current, and what the visitor should look at next. Add a second accent and both stop meaning anything in particular.

Making it hold up

The accent needs enough contrast against the background to pass at small sizes, not just in a large heading. Check the smallest label you actually ship, not a swatch.

Letting people change it

A palette switcher is not a cop-out if the design genuinely works in each option. Test every palette at the same three or four screens rather than assuming the darkest one is representative.

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