Color Assignment Strategy
Why Colors Matter
Colors in decomposition charts are not just aesthetic—they're a critical communication tool that helps stakeholders quickly understand and remember insights.
Purpose: Assign distinct, professional colors to each contribution group for clear, memorable data visualization.
Accessing Color Assignment
In Contribution Groups page:
After assigning variables to groups
Color picker table appears below the variable list
Shows all unique groups with current color assignment
Click color swatch to open color picker
Color Selection Principles
1. Distinct and Distinguishable
Requirement: Each group must have a clearly different color
Good Practice:
Use colors from different parts of the spectrum
Ensure visual separation in charts
Test colors side-by-side
Poor Practice:
Similar shades (light blue and dark blue)
Colors that blend together
Too many variations of the same hue
2. Professional and Appropriate
Corporate Standards:
Match company branding when possible
Use muted, professional tones
Avoid overly bright/neon colors
Industry Conventions:
Blue often represents marketing/media
Red commonly used for price/costs
Green for growth/positive impacts
Gray for baseline/base
3. Accessibility
Color-Blind Considerations:
Avoid red-green combinations as sole differentiators
Use color-blind safe palettes
Test with color-blind simulation tools
Contrast:
Ensure sufficient contrast between colors
Consider both light and dark backgrounds
Test readability in different contexts
4. Consistency
Cross-Model Consistency:
Use same color for same group across all models
"Media" should always be the same blue
Enables comparison across analyses
Time Consistency:
Maintain colors over time
Year-over-year comparisons easier
Builds stakeholder familiarity
Recommended Color Palettes
Standard Business Palette
Base
Gray
#808080
Neutral, foundational
Media/Marketing
Blue
#0078D4
Professional, traditional for marketing
TV
Dark Blue
#004B87
Subset of media
Digital
Teal
#00B7C3
Modern, tech-forward
Radio
Navy
#002050
Traditional media
Purple
#5C2D91
Print industry association
Social
Light Blue
#4DB6AC
Social, engaging
Search
Orange
#FF8C00
Action, discovery
Display
Yellow
#FFB900
Attention, visual
Price
Red
#E81123
Cost, alert
Promotions
Orange
#D83B01
Special, temporary
Seasonality
Green
#107C10
Natural cycles
External
Purple
#8E8CD8
Outside factors
Distribution
Brown
#825A2C
Physical, stores
Alternative Professional Palette
For brands with specific color requirements:
Base
Charcoal
#36454F
Media
Royal Blue
#4169E1
Digital
Cyan
#00CED1
Price
Crimson
#DC143C
Promotions
Coral
#FF7F50
Seasonality
Forest Green
#228B22
Color-Blind Safe Palette
Optimized for accessibility:
Base
Gray
#999999
Neutral
Media
Blue
#0173B2
Safe blue
Digital
Orange
#DE8F05
Distinct from blue
Price
Vermillion
#CC78BC
Pink-purple
Promotions
Yellow
#ECE133
High contrast
Seasonality
Green
#029E73
Blue-green
External
Purple
#949494
Neutral alternative
Color Assignment Process
Step 1: Assign Primary Groups
Start with most important groups:
Base: Always gray or neutral
Main marketing group: Professional blue
Price: Red (universal for costs/pricing)
Seasonality: Green (natural cycles)
Step 2: Assign Channel Colors
For media subgroups:
Digital channels: Cool colors (blues, teals, cyans)
Search: Orange (action)
Social: Light blue (social, approachable)
Display: Yellow (visual, attention)
Video: Red-orange (dynamic)
Traditional channels: Darker, classic colors
TV: Dark blue (established, traditional)
Radio: Navy (audio, deep)
Print: Purple (print heritage)
OOH: Brown (outdoor, physical)
Step 3: Ensure Contrast
Test colors together:
View in decomposition chart format
Check if colors are distinguishable
Adjust if any colors blend
Tools:
Use online color contrast checkers
Test in grayscale
Review on different devices
Step 4: Document Choices
Record color assignments:
Create color guide document
Share with team
Use consistently across all reports
Using the Color Picker
MixModeler Color Picker Features:
Palette Mode:
Pre-defined color swatches
Quick selection
Commonly used colors
Selection:
Click on color swatch in the table
Color picker opens
Choose from palette
Color updates immediately
Preview shown next to picker
Visual Confirmation:
Color square shows current selection
Updates in real-time
Visible in table immediately
Color Best Practices by Group
Base Group
Recommended: Gray (#808080)
Why:
Neutral, doesn't compete with other colors
Represents foundation
Allows other colors to stand out
Alternatives:
Light gray (#B0B0B0) for subtlety
Charcoal (#36454F) for contrast
Marketing/Media Groups
Recommended: Blue family (#0078D4, #4169E1)
Why:
Professional and trustworthy
Traditional for marketing
Broadly appealing
Variations:
Different shades of blue for subgroups
Lighter blue for digital
Darker blue for traditional
Price Group
Recommended: Red (#E81123)
Why:
Universal for costs and pricing
Alert color draws attention
Contrasts with marketing blues
Caution:
Avoid if brand uses red prominently
Consider maroon/burgundy alternatives
Promotions
Recommended: Orange (#FF8C00, #D83B01)
Why:
Attention-grabbing
Temporary/special events
Distinct from regular marketing
Alternatives:
Coral for softer look
Yellow-orange for visibility
Seasonality
Recommended: Green (#107C10)
Why:
Natural cycles
Growth and patterns
Clear differentiation
Alternatives:
Forest green for sophistication
Mint green for lightness
Common Color Mistakes
Mistake 1: Too Many Similar Colors
Multiple shades of blue that look identical in charts
Hard to distinguish groups
Solution: Use colors from different color families
Mistake 2: Neon/Bright Colors
Unprofessional appearance
Strain on eyes
Difficult to present
Solution: Use muted, professional tones
Mistake 3: Insufficient Contrast
Light yellow on white background
Dark blue on black background
Can't read labels
Solution: Test contrast ratios, ensure readability
Mistake 4: Red-Green Only Distinction
Color-blind users can't distinguish
Critical groups become indistinguishable
Solution: Use additional color dimensions or patterns
Mistake 5: Inconsistent Colors Across Models
"Media" is blue in one model, green in another
Confuses stakeholders
Breaks pattern recognition
Solution: Document and enforce color standards
Color Psychology in Marketing Context
Blue: Trust, stability, professionalism
Use for: Corporate marketing, established channels
Red: Urgency, importance, costs
Use for: Price, critical factors
Green: Growth, natural, positive
Use for: Seasonality, growth metrics
Orange: Energy, action, attention
Use for: Promotions, new initiatives
Purple: Premium, creative, unique
Use for: Special programs, external factors
Yellow: Optimism, clarity, caution
Use for: Highlights, attention areas
Gray: Neutral, foundation, stability
Use for: Base, constant
Testing Your Color Scheme
Visual Tests:
Side-by-side comparison: View all colors together
Chart preview: Run decomposition to see actual usage
Grayscale test: Convert to grayscale—can you still distinguish?
Distance test: View from across room—colors still distinct?
Multiple devices: Check on laptop, mobile, projector
Accessibility Tests:
Color-blind simulation: Use tools to simulate color blindness
Contrast checker: Verify WCAG compliance
Peer review: Have colleagues review
Stakeholder feedback: Test with actual users
Saving and Persistence
Automatic Saving:
Colors save with group configuration
Click "Save Groups" to persist
Colors stored in model metadata
Consistency:
Same colors used across all charts
Exported to Excel with colors
Maintained across sessions
Updating:
Can change colors anytime
Update applies to all future charts
Historical exports retain original colors
Examples of Effective Color Schemes
Example 1: CPG Brand
Rationale: Clear channel distinction, professional palette, accessible
Example 2: E-Commerce
Rationale: Digital-friendly, vibrant but professional, channel-specific
Example 3: B2B SaaS
Rationale: Professional, incorporates brand colors, clear hierarchy
Tips for Success
Keep It Simple:
Don't overthink color selection
Use established palettes
Focus on distinction and consistency
Be Consistent:
Document your color scheme
Use same colors across all models
Train team on color standards
Test Early:
Run decomposition with colors
Get stakeholder feedback
Adjust before finalizing
Consider Context:
Presentation environment (projector, screen)
Audience needs (accessibility)
Brand guidelines
Maintain Flexibility:
Colors can be changed
Update based on feedback
Refine over time
Next Steps
After assigning colors:
Set Adjustment Parameters if needed
Save configuration
Run Decomposition Analysis
Review charts with stakeholders
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