Content Localisation Guides

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Colour Theory

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Design Do's & Don'ts

Curated Templates

Design Tone

Copy Do's & Don'ts

Design Trends

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Truly Local Ingredients

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Colour Theory

Colour Meaning

Cobalt Blue - flag

Fraternity

Blue colour for both royal and religious power, was a way to show off its wealth. It used on the French flag as a symbol to honor of the venerated Saint Martin.

White

Equality

White is the traditional colour of the House of Bourbon, a French familial line which ruled in France from the late 16th century until it was overthrown during the French Revolution. On the flag, the colour white represents the King.

Red

Liberty

Originally, red on the French flag was meant to represent Saint Denis, the patron saint of Paris. It has direct connection and symbolism with french revolution.

White

White often symbolises simplicity, purity, and cleanliness. Often used to give contrast to designs, white provides a clean, neutral slate. It’s there to give breathing room to other elements and to be a background to highlight something.

• Fashion
  
• Editorial
  
• Wedding
  

Green

Green is one of the most versatile colours in the colour wheel, thanks to its widespread use in everyday life. Its ties to nature can lend natural food brand or yoga studio an organic, healthy feel, while a brighter hue is often used in financial applications. Also, it can be really soothing and relaxing, but if it’s a super-vibrant green, it’s more refreshing and energetic.

• Sustainability
• Organic
  
• Relaxing
  
• Christmas
  
• Education
  

Brown or Beige

Neutral and natural, brown has warmth to it and a feeling of security. It’s a very earthy colour that will effortlessly evoke elements from the natural world. If you’re going for an organic, wholesome feel, brown is an excellent colour to include in your palette.

• Fashion
• Beauty
  
• Health
  
• Neutral
  
• Food
  

Grey

A true neutral shade, gray is almost always used as a secondary colour or accent. It can be used to temper or complement any colour, or to serve as a quiet background. Try not to block out your design in all gray, as that can tip the balance from neutral to dreary and boring.

• Business
  
• Technology
  
• Automotive
  
• Corporate
  

Puce

Mix purple and brown, and you get puce, a close relative of burnt sienna. The colour’s name is the French word for flea. This colour is widely use in France, it’s a great neutral shade and it's often used in modern interior decor, fashion and beauty.

• Fashion
  
• Beauty
  
• Interior Design
  
• Architecture
  

Purple

Purple has the balance of red’s stimulation and blue’s calming properties. It is traditionally associated with royalty, majesty, and nobility as well as having a spiritual or mysterious quality. Darker shades often represent luxury or opulence, while lighter shades are quite feminine, sentimental, and even nostalgic.

• Luxury
  
• Tech
  
• Playfulness
  
• Music
  
• Astrology
  
• Creativity
  

Amber

Because it is located halfway between yellow and orange on the colour wheel, amber looks a darker shade of yellow. Its warm undertones often make it look golden but the hue can also sometimes appear to have a brownish tint.

• Jewellery
  
• Tech
  
• Education
  
• Organic
  

Top Colour Groups

Rust and Moss

The colour scheme featuring strong terra-cotta and rust tones. This earthy tone pairs particularly well with the bright moss greens.

Pale purple

Purple is often a controversial colour choice (the classic purple could be considered as a cliche), but a softer, lighter, more approachable tone is quickly becoming design’s next “it” hue. Warm reds, delicate purples and soft grape shades.

Citrus Orange

The poppy colours of tropical citrus fruits are a welcome respite this year: a particularly bright citrus orange that feels light and fresh.

Avoid using pink for women

Avoid using colours and combination that stereotype genders. Especially mangenta and pinks for women.

Avoid neon, very saturated colours.

Avoid to use aggressive unbalanced colours. Don't mix too many on one design, it will create a sense of bad taste and disharmony.

French Flag

Avoid to use tricolour of the french flag in the designs, it might be perceived as a sign of extremism in politics, aggression or like a bad joke.

Trending Design Colour Palettes

Natural, Biscotti, Pastel Salmon, ​Hazel Wood, Dove

Warm Yellow, Tangerine, ​Marmalade, Dark Blush, Merlot

Pale Stone, Cobalt Slate, Muted ​Teal, Dark Ocean, Peacock

Crepe, Sapphire, Heather, Gentle ​Sky, Parmesan

Global Services

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These guides are made for our internal marketing teams to help with asset localisation that feel truly local.

Brought to you by Marketing Localisation, Global Services, in collaboration with

i18n Templates team.

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