A design strategy tool.
A design strategy tool.
The Stradjectives™ (strategic adjectives) deck turns color palette building into a game. Use it yourself or with clients. Ideal for:
Created by a graphic designer, the deck uses color theory and color psychology to determine a starting color palette for design projects. Once you have your Stradjectives, use your professional judgment to adjust suggested colors for a winning combination!
Order multiple decks and save!
I developed this deck of cards because my clients almost always wanted blue—blue logos, blue brochures, blue websites. Blue is sometimes an excellent choice, but usually ensures that the design fails to generate excitement.
By playing the Stradjectives game with my clients, they participate in choosing colors by meaning rather than what makes them feel safe and comfortable.
The resulting color palettes are more interesting, eye-catching, alive, and connect better with target audiences.
—Gretchen Wieshuber, Graphic Designer and Founder of Studio 2D
34 cards, UV coated both sides, rounded corners.
17 pairs of opposites—all adjectives are positive.
Each color has CMYK percentages and hex code.
Use the deck by yourself or with clients.
The Stradjectives deck has been used for over 10 years to develop stunning color palettes for branding and website clients.
One deck costs $39, and that includes tax and shipping. Each additional deck costs $29. Buy more and save!
Shuffle the deck, then place the cards adjective-side up. Look at each word and decide if it does describe the project. Put those in the keep pile. If the word does not describe the project, put it in the discard pile. If you’re not sure, you can make another pile in between.
After you have gone through the entire deck, take another look at the in-between adjectives and sort those into the keep pile or discard pile.
Now spread out the cards in the keep pile and choose the ones ones that make your project unique, that elevate you above competitors, or are aspirational in nature. Narrow them down to three. These are your Stradjectives!
Now flip over the selected cards to see your suggested color palette. If you see a color more than once, you definitely want to include it. Fill out the palette with other colors from the cards.
An ideal color palette has one dominant color, two or three supporting colors (either complementary or analogous), and at least one neutral. Use your professional judgment to build, then tweak, your color palette.
If the Stradjectives deck does not work for you after using it as instructed above, return it for a full refund.
Yes! Clients love being part of the design process.
You can use the deck over and over for project after project. I like to give my branding clients their deck after we have played with it to determine their palette.
Remember that the colors must appeal to the target audience. It’s possible that they will make the client a little uncomfortable. That is likely a good sign, because it indicates colors that are outside their comfort zone. That means the palette is more likely to generate excitement, or at least set them apart from competitors.
Another possibility is that you weren’t completely on target with your choice of adjectives. Try playing the game again and be truly honest about your desired customers and what adjectives will resonate with them.
As a professional designer, consider making tweaks to the suggested colors based on your professional judgment. Perhaps tints or shades of some of the colors will communicate better.
Order multiple decks and save!
2 decks for $68
3 decks for $97
4 decks for $126
5 decks for $155
©2025
41 Via Chula Vista
Manitou Springs, CO 80829