Guide
How color harmony works
Use complementary, analogous, triadic, and split-complementary relationships without treating the color wheel as a rigid rule.
Harmony describes relationships
Harmony systems provide starting points based on hue distance. The result still needs hierarchy: decide which color leads, which supports, and which remains a rare accent.
Lightness matters as much as hue
Two harmonious hues can still be unusable together when their lightness is too similar. Test real text, controls, and surfaces rather than judging swatches alone.
Use context to edit the result
Brand character, imagery, cultural context, and accessibility should all override a mechanically generated wheel relationship.