Colour design consistency
How we untangled Neon’s colour chaos and made the app more scalable (without losing its charm).
Neon’s vibrant dashboard was visually striking but also a design headache. Six different colour variations influenced UI elements and workflows, challenging the app's scaling. I led an initiative to simplify the experience, making it more consistent, flexible, and future-proof without compromising Neon’s signature visual appeal.
ROLE
Design Lead
YEAR
2020
Challenge
Each menu tab had its own background colour, which seemed like a fun, user-friendly choice at first. But behind the scenes, this approach created friction at every turn:
Extra design work
Every UI component (like buttons and illustrations) needed multiple colour variations.
Scalability issues
Even a simple change, like reordering menu items, required design teams to rework multiple screens.
User perception uncertainty
We weren’t sure if people even noticed or cared about the colour-coding.
Our approach
This wasn’t just a UI tweak—it was about making Neon’s design more efficient, scalable, and user-friendly. Before making any drastic changes, we knew we needed real user insights. We conducted qualitative research to answer one key question:
Did users actually associate background colours with specific features?
Turns out… they didn’t. =)
Solution
Armed with this insight, our team worked to rethink our approach and defined the following:
Colour system simplification
We reduced the background colours of internal flows to just one.
Seamless transition
Instead of abrupt colour shifts, we used our brand gradient to create smooth, visually cohesive transitions.
Streamlined UI components
We eliminated redundant variations, making the interface cleaner and more manageable.
IMPACT & RESULTS
By unifying Neon’s colour system, we made the dashboard easier to update and scale without constant redesigns. Simplifying UI elements reduced primary button variations from six to one, streamlining the design process while keeping Neon’s signature look intact. The result? A more cohesive, efficient, and future-proof experience for both users and the design team.
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