Overview

Color

Neutral by default. Signal when it matters.

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A Refined, Nature-inspired Palette

Restraint is the whole idea. Black and white do most of the work; each hue is drawn from nature, so Scale reads as real and reliable everywhere it appears. Color works hardest as a backdrop — a single brand color can carry a layout or a deck, with everything on it kept black and white. Multiple colors can share a layout, but only in the smallest doses: an icon background, a shape in a diagram. Pair every color with black or white, and never stack two brand colors.

Color in practice

A few patterns that keep color feeling intentional — color as the surface, always paired with black or white, and kept to small functional moments.

Scale · HealthcareReliable AI for critical decisions.
Color carries the surfaceLet one brand color own the background. Everything on it stays black or white.
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Pair with black or whiteSet type on a color in black or white — whichever reads. Never another color.
Color as accentsKeep color in small icon chips and icons — always on white, black, or gray. Several colors are fine here because the doses stay tiny.
Use alpha & opacity for data visualizationTints and opacity stretch one or two colors into a full range, so charts stay legible without stacking brand colors.
Lean on imagery for color interestInstead of cluttering a layout with lots of color, use imagery to add interest to your designs.

What to avoid

The fastest ways color stops feeling like Scale: stacking brand colors, leaning on color for contrast or emphasis, and spreading it too thin.

Don't stack two brand colorsBrand colors never sit on each other — separate them with black or white.
Reliable AI Systems
Don't set color on colorColor type on a color field kills contrast. Keep type black or white.
AI Systems that actually workMost AI deployments in enterprise and government fail. We find the right use case, build the system, and own the outcome.
Don't use color to emphasize textHierarchy comes from size and weight — not from coloring headlines and stats.
Don't use too much color on one pageMany brand colors at once reads as noise. One color, used sparingly, says more.

Download the assets

Production-ready marks, tokens, and templates referenced in this chapter.