University Of Michigan Color Palette – HEX, RGB & Design Inspiration
Color Details
HEX: #FFCB05
RGB: 255, 203, 5
HEX: #00274C
RGB: 0, 39, 76
HEX: #CFC096
RGB: 207, 192, 150
HEX: #989C97
RGB: 152, 156, 151
HEX: #E4E1DF
RGB: 228, 225, 223
Text on White/Black Backgrounds
Color Pair Combinations (10 total)
WCAG Contrast Standards:
- AAA (7:1): Enhanced contrast for maximum readability
- AA (4.5:1): Minimum for normal text (under 18pt)
- AA Large (3:1): Acceptable for large text (18pt+ or 14pt+ bold)
- Fail: Below WCAG standards, not recommended for text
Recommended Text Colors
Horizontal (Left to Right)
background: linear-gradient(to right, #FFCB05 0%, #00274C 25%, #CFC096 50%, #989C97 75%, #E4E1DF 100%);Vertical (Top to Bottom)
background: linear-gradient(to bottom, #FFCB05 0%, #00274C 25%, #CFC096 50%, #989C97 75%, #E4E1DF 100%);Diagonal (Top Left to Bottom Right)
background: linear-gradient(to bottom right, #FFCB05 0%, #00274C 25%, #CFC096 50%, #989C97 75%, #E4E1DF 100%);Usage Tips:
- Copy the CSS code and paste directly into your stylesheets
- Linear gradients work great for backgrounds and hero sections
- Radial gradients are perfect for spotlights and focus effects
- Conic gradients create eye-catching loading spinners and progress indicators
- Smooth transitions ensure seamless color blending
Normal Vision
No color vision deficiency
Color Swatches
#FFCB05
#00274C
#CFC096
#989C97
#E4E1DF
Full Palette View
How people with Normal Vision see it:
Overall Mood & Feel
Energetic, warm, and inviting
Emotional Impact
Stimulating and energetic, evoking feelings of excitement, warmth, and action. The balanced lightness creates versatility across different contexts
Psychological Effect
This 5-color palette creates a energetic, warm, and inviting. The combination works together to create memorable visual experiences that influence consumer perception, decision-making, and brand recall. The rich variety provides versatility while maintaining cohesive emotional messaging across touchpoints.
Brand Personality Traits
Perfect For These Industries
Target Audience
Business professionals and decision-makers seeking reliability and competence
Individual Color Psychology
#FFCB05
Luxurious and prestigious
Emotions Evoked
Personality Traits
Brand Traits
Ideal Industries
Marketing Use
Grabs attention quickly, stimulates mental activity, and generates optimism. Great for highlighting products and encouraging impulse decisions.
Cultural Meanings
Color Harmony Analysis
Palette Mood
Temperature
This palette combines balanced and dark & bold and light & airy moods with warm and cool and neutral tones, making it versatile for various design applications.
Professional Implementation Guide
This complementary university of michigan palette features 5 carefully selected warm tones that create a balanced and versatile aesthetic. With low contrast levels and moderate saturation, this palette is optimized for .
Web Design & Development
For web development, implement this palette with CSS variables for easy theme switching. Consider adding darker variants for better text readability.
- Apply the 60-30-10 rule for visual hierarchy
- Use accent colors for CTAs and hover states
- Maintain consistent color usage across all pages
- Test responsive behavior on multiple devices
Mobile App Interfaces
In mobile applications, these warm tones provide excellent battery efficiency on OLED screens. Use the subtle color variations to define clear touch targets.
- Design both light and dark mode variants
- Consider thumb-reach zones for color placement
- Test under direct sunlight and low light
- Use color to indicate interactive elements
Brand Identity Systems
Build a cohesive brand identity by designating specific colors for specific purposes. Establish your primary brand color from the most distinctive shade and create comprehensive brand guidelines specifying exact usage scenarios.
- Define primary, secondary, and accent colors
- Create usage rules for marketing materials
- Specify minimum sizes and clear space
- Document do's and don'ts for consistency
Frontend Development
Developers can integrate this palette efficiently using modern CSS techniques. Export as CSS variables for maximum flexibility, allowing theme switching and dynamic color updates without rewriting stylesheets.
- Use CSS custom properties for theming
- Implement semantic color naming conventions
- Create utility classes for rapid prototyping
- Consider CSS-in-JS for component-scoped colors
Print Design
For print materials, convert to CMYK using #FFCB05 as the dominant color for headers and #E4E1DF for accents. These colors translate well to print with minimal adjustment.
- Add to your design software color library
- Create swatches for quick color access
- Use CMYK values for print production
- Request color proofs before final print
Marketing Campaigns
Marketing materials benefit from consistent color usage that reinforces brand recognition. Apply this palette across email campaigns, landing pages, advertisements, and social media for maximum impact and memorability.
- Maintain color consistency across channels
- A/B test color variations for conversion
- Consider cultural color associations
- Align colors with campaign messaging
Strategic Color Distribution
Professional designers follow the 60-30-10 rule for balanced color distribution. Here's how to apply this principle with the University Of Michigan:
Dominant Color
#FFCB05Use #FFCB05 as your primary color for backgrounds, main content areas. This yellow tone should occupy about 60% of your design space.
Secondary Color
#CFC096Apply #CFC096 as your secondary color for subtle backgrounds and card components. Allocate approximately 30% of your layout to this color.
Accent Color
#E4E1DFReserve #E4E1DF for accent elements like buttons, links, and important highlights. This white accent should be used sparingly (10% of design) to draw attention to key actions.
Professional Best Practices
✓ Smart Usage Tips
- •Add white or black text overlays to improve readability on colored backgrounds
- •Balance warm tones with neutral whites or grays to create visual breathing room
- •Test your palette across different devices and lighting conditions before finalizing
✗ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- •Don't use all colors equally—establish clear visual hierarchy through color weight
- •Avoid low-contrast text combinations that strain readability
- •Don't rely solely on color to convey meaning (use icons, text, and patterns too)
- •Avoid inconsistent color usage across different pages or screens
- •Don't assume screen colors match print output—always request physical proofs
Palette Overview & Statistics
5
Total Colors
5
Associated Tags
3
Categories
3168
Community Likes
Color Analysis & Technical Guide
Detailed breakdown of each color's role, characteristics, and optimal applications. This complementary palette creates a balanced and versatile aesthetic perfect for .
Individual Color Breakdown
Each color in this warm palette has been analyzed for its properties and ideal usage scenarios. The low contrast and moderate saturation ensure harmonious visual relationships.
#FFCB05
YELLOW
#FFCB05 serves as the primary/dominant color in this palette. This medium yellow (highly saturated) brings richness and prestige Use it for headers, navigation bars, and brand elements.
Light toneH: 48°S: 100%L: 51%#00274C
BLUE
#00274C serves as the secondary/supporting color in this palette. This dark blue (highly saturated) brings professionalism and depth Use it for cards, borders, section dividers, and supporting UI components.
Dark toneH: 209°S: 100%L: 15%#CFC096
ORANGE
#CFC096 serves as the secondary/supporting color in this palette. This medium orange (moderately saturated) brings creativity and enthusiasm Use it for cards, borders, section dividers, and supporting UI components.
Light toneH: 44°S: 37%L: 70%#989C97
GRAY
#989C97 serves as the secondary/supporting color in this palette. This medium gray (muted) brings neutrality and balance Use it for cards, borders, section dividers, and supporting UI components.
Light toneH: 108°S: 2%L: 60%#E4E1DF
WHITE
#E4E1DF serves as the accent/highlight color in this palette. This light white (muted) brings cleanliness and simplicity Use it for call-to-action buttons, links, important notifications, and interactive elements.
Light toneH: 24°S: 8%L: 88%
Palette Characteristics
This palette exhibits distinct characteristics that make it particularly suitable for specific design applications and industries.
Warm colors create energy, excitement, and approachability. Perfect for brands targeting emotional connection.
Low contrast creates subtle, sophisticated aesthetics but requires careful attention to text legibility.
Moderate saturation balances visual interest with professional restraint.
Balanced brightness provides flexibility for both light and dark design elements.
💡 Pro Tips for This Palette
- Perfect for: . The complementary color relationship creates natural visual flow.
- Mood & Psychology: This palette evokes a balanced and versatile feeling, making it ideal for brands seeking to convey those qualities.
- Accessibility: Test text combinations carefully with contrast checkers to ensure accessibility compliance.
- Extensions: Create tints (add white) and shades (add black) to expand this 5-color palette into a comprehensive design system.
- Cultural Context: Warm colors may have different meanings across cultures—verify associations with your target market.
Export Formats
Explore University Of Michigan Palette
The University Of Michigan color palette is a masterful blend of vibrant and soothing tones, evoking feelings of excitement, sophistication, and warmth. At its core, this palette is about balance and harmony, bringing together a range of colors that work in perfect unison to create a visually stunning experience. The palette's emotional impact is undeniable, transporting viewers to a place of nostalgia and intellectual curiosity, much like the esteemed institution that inspired it.
Delving deeper into the palette, we find a rich navy tone, reminiscent of a clear night sky, which serves as the foundation and anchor for the entire color scheme. This deep, cool shade, represented by the hex code FF CB is not the correct representation, instead the correct hex code for the navy tone is 00274C, which adds a sense of stability and trustworthiness to the palette. In contrast, the bright and energetic orange tone, represented by the hex code FF CB 05, injects a sense of playfulness and creativity, drawing the viewer's attention and inspiring a sense of excitement. The beige tone, represented by the hex code CFC096, brings a sense of warmth and coziness to the palette, while the gray tone, represented by the hex code 989C97, adds a touch of sophistication and balance. Finally, the light beige tone, represented by the hex code E4E1DF, provides a clean and neutral background that allows the other colors to take center stage.
In terms of practical applications, the University Of Michigan color palette is incredibly versatile, lending itself to a wide range of design projects, from websites and apps to branding and marketing materials. Designers can use this palette to create a bold and eye-catching visual identity for a company or product, or to add a touch of elegance and sophistication to a digital platform. The palette's balanced and harmonious nature makes it an excellent choice for educational institutions, non-profit organizations, or any brand that values knowledge, creativity, and community. Whether used in its entirety or in select combinations, the University Of Michigan color palette is sure to make a lasting impression on viewers.
The psychological impact of the University Of Michigan color palette is also worth exploring, as each color plays a significant role in influencing viewer perception and behavior. The navy tone, for example, is often associated with feelings of trust and reliability, while the orange tone is known to stimulate creativity and enthusiasm. The beige and gray tones, on the other hand, promote a sense of balance and stability, which can help to calm and focus the viewer. By combining these colors in a thoughtful and intentional way, designers can create a visual experience that not only engages and inspires the viewer but also communicates the values and mission of the brand.
For designers looking to get the most out of the University Of Michigan color palette, there are several pro tips to keep in mind. To add an extra layer of depth and contrast to the design, consider pairing the navy tone with a complementary color, such as a bright and vibrant pink or a soft and soothing mint. The orange tone can be used as an accent color to draw attention to specific elements or calls to action, while the beige and gray tones can be used to create a sense of texture and visual interest. By experimenting with different combinations and pairings, designers can unlock the full potential of the University Of Michigan color palette and create a truly unique and compelling visual identity.
Palette Image
Below is the generated palette image showing all colors in a vertical layout. Perfect for sharing on social media or using as a reference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about using and implementing the university of michigan palette effectively in your projects.