Free course · Lesson 2 of 5

Color Theory & Typography

In this lesson you will

Build a simple colour palette
Check text contrast and pair fonts

Color creates emotion; typography creates voice. Together they define the personality of every design. In Canva and Adobe Illustrator, you can save brand color palettes and font pairs to reuse across all your projects.

Color psychology: Blue (#1D448A) = trust & professionalism. Yellow/Gold (#F2C035) = optimism & warmth. Green = growth & health. Red = urgency & passion.
Color harmonies: Complementary colors (opposite on the wheel) create high contrast — great for CTAs. Analogous colors (next to each other) create harmony — great for backgrounds.
Serif vs Sans-Serif: Serif fonts (like Merriweather, Georgia) feel traditional and trustworthy — good for NGO reports. Sans-Serif (like Inter, Montserrat, Roboto) feel modern and clean — good for digital interfaces.
Display fonts: Use sparingly for headlines only (e.g., Bebas Neue, Playfair Display). Never use them for body text — readability drops fast.

Practical Skill: Build a reusable brand color palette in Canva or Illustrator. Pick 3 colors: one Primary (dominant), one Secondary (supporting), one Accent (for highlights). Pair one bold Sans-Serif heading font with one ultra-readable body font. Save this as a template.

TemplateBrand Color & Type Scheme

Worksheet

=== BRAND COLOR PALETTE (HEX Codes) ===   Primary (Trust)     →  #1D448A  (Deep Navy Blue)  Secondary (Warmth)  →  #F2C035  (Golden Yellow)  Accent (Energy)     →  #16A34A  (Vibrant Green)   Neutral Dark  →  #111827  (Almost black — for body text)  Neutral Light →  #F9FAFB  (Off-white — for backgrounds) === FONT PAIRING RECOMMENDATIONS ===   Option A — Modern & Clean (Best for digital / UI):    Headings:  Montserrat Bold (Sans-Serif)    Body:      Inter Regular (Sans-Serif, highly readable)    Use case:  Websites, mobile apps, social media graphics   Option B — Trustworthy & Professional (Best for print / NGO):    Headings:  Playfair Display Bold (Serif)    Body:      Merriweather Light (Serif)    Use case:  Reports, brochures, formal posters   Option C — Bold & Friendly (Best for social / youth):    Headings:  Bebas Neue Regular (Display, all caps)    Body:      Roboto Regular (Sans-Serif)    Use case:  Posters, banners, event flyers --- HOW TO APPLY IN YOUR SOFTWARE ---   In Canva:    1. Create a new project → "Brand Kit" tab    2. Add your 3 HEX codes under Brand Colors    3. Upload or select your two fonts under Brand Fonts    4. Every new design will default to your brand!   In Adobe Illustrator:    1. Open the Swatches panel → New Color Swatch    2. Paste each HEX code → Name them (Primary, Secondary, Accent)    3. Use the Character Styles panel to save font pairs

Practice exercise

Choose a three-colour palette for a local business, check each text and background pair with a contrast checker and pick a headline and body font.

Key takeaways

Use 60-30-10 for balance
Aim for at least 4.5:1 contrast for normal text
Two fonts are usually enough

In the full program Module 2: Colour Theory and Typography See how this topic is taught in depth, with practical activities and an assessment.

Free self-study lesson — no certificate. For the full instructor-led program, see registration options.