Why we use colour theory in our content at Atomi

As educators, we’re always on the lookout for simple, effective ways to help students stay focused and truly grasp what they’re learning. Whether it’s through chunking lessons into manageable parts or striking the right balance between explicit teaching and independent practice, everything comes back to one key principle: making learning more accessible.

One powerful but often overlooked tool in this toolkit is colour.

Used intentionally, colour can do more than just make a lesson look polished. It can guide attention, reduce overwhelm, and help students retain complex ideas more effectively. That’s where colour theory comes in.

At Atomi, we apply colour theory alongside research-backed principles like cognitive load theory and information chunking to design lessons that support a wide range of learning styles.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

• What is colour theory?
• How colour theory supports learning and cognitive processing
• How we apply colour theory in Atomi’s content
• 5 practical ways to bring colour theory into your classroom

What is colour theory?

At its core, colour theory is all about how colours interact and how those interactions influence the way we think, feel, and understand what we see. It covers key ideas like:

• The colour wheel: How colours are arranged and related
• Colour harmony: Which colours work well together
• Colour context: How colours behave in different settings

When it comes to education, colour is more than just a design choice—it’s a learning tool. 

Research suggests that colour can help students navigate information by visually organising content and drawing attention to what matters most. Think of how your eyes naturally gravitate towards a bright heading or a bold highlight on a page—that visual cue makes the information easier to process and remember.

But colour theory isn’t just about choosing aesthetically pleasing palettes. When used with intention, colour can reduce cognitive load, support memory retention and make learning materials more engaging—especially for visual learners who thrive on clear, well-structured design.

How can colour theory help learners?

Colour can do more than just brighten up a page—it can actively support how students process, retain and engage with content. Educational research has long shown that the thoughtful use of colour can boost memory, reduce distractions and help guide learners through new material. Here’s how:

Sharpens focus

Colour-coded headings, highlights or key terms help students quickly spot what’s important. This is especially helpful for learners who find large blocks of text overwhelming. It’s a simple way to reduce visual noise and spotlight the essentials.

As Darcy Campbell, Curriculum Lead at Atomi, explains:

Colour is a teaching tool, just like text boxes or diagrams. It conveys meaning, emphasis and hierarchy. But we only want to use it where it counts, so we don’t distract or overwhelm learners.

Improves recall

Think of colour as a visual anchor. Studies have found that learners are more likely to remember material when colour cues are used, as they act like mental bookmarks, making it easier to retrieve key information later.

Adds emotional engagement

Colour doesn’t just guide the eye; it can also shape how learners feel. Softer, cooler tones can help create a calm and focused environment, while brighter colours can energise and add a sense of momentum to the learning experience.

Supports accessibility

When applied with intention, colour can make learning materials more inclusive. High-contrast combinations improve readability for students with visual impairments and a limited, consistent palette reduces the risk of cognitive overload.

How we use colour theory in our content at Atomi

At Atomi, colour isn’t just a design choice—it’s a teaching tool. Everything we create is built on the belief that great design should support learning, not distract from it. That’s why our use of colour is intentional, research-informed and aligned with principles that keep students engaged and content accessible.

Colour that creates meaning, emphasis and hierarchy

“We use colour in three ways,” explains Darcy, “First, to show meaning—like using a distinct colour for definitions and a softer one for optional examples. Second, to create emphasis—highlighting critical points with bolder shades. And third, to guide hierarchy—so students can immediately see what’s a headline, a sub-point or an extension.”

By sticking to these clear categories, every colour serves a purpose, helping students navigate the lesson intuitively.

Prioritising accessibility and consistency

At Atomi, accessibility isn’t an afterthought—it’s built into our content from the ground up. That means we design with all types of learners in mind by using high-contrast text, limiting the number of colours on each screen and avoiding problematic colour pairings for colour-blind users.

“We have developed our colour palettes and design guides based on legal requirements and peer-reviewed academic research into what works best for learners with visual impairments. We provide our designers with strict rules about things like font size, colour pairings and more to ensure we’re designing for everyone,” shares Darcy.

Consistency is also just as important. “When students recognise familiar layouts and colour cues,” Sarah notes, “they’re free to focus on the learning—rather than trying to decode the presentation of it.”

Mature, age-appropriate palettes

Atomi content is designed for high school students, so we avoid colour schemes that feel too young and overly playful.

“We want to respect our learners as young adults,” says Darcy. “That’s why we lean into more mature palettes—think bold teals, deep oranges and clean white space, rather than baby pinks or overly bright combos.”

This approach keeps content fresh and engaging while still feeling appropriate for secondary school students.

Colour tailored to subject and year level

Different subjects and topics require different vibes. 

For more serious topics, we use a more muted palette to show respect to the subject matter we’re covering (such as unpacking the events that unfolded during the World Wars in History). But for more playful topics (like cool science experiments), we use colourful combinations to grab the attention of students. Plus, we adjust the colour palettes to suit different age groups.

“Our Year 7 lessons might feature more playful pops of colour,” Darcy notes, “but by Year 11 and 12, we tone things down to reflect a more sophisticated tone. It helps keep things visually interesting while staying age-appropriate.”

5 practical tips to bring colour theory into the classroom

Ready to harness the power of colour in your own teaching? These simple, effective strategies can help you create more engaging, accessible and organised lessons without adding to your workload.

Tip 1. Colour code your lesson materials

Colour-coding handouts, slides or digital resources helps students visually structure what they’re learning. Assign one colour to key concepts, another to examples and a third to challenge tasks—it gives your students a quick visual cue to identify what matters most.

Encourage students to mirror this system in their own notes. If examples are always pink in your slides, students might highlight theirs the same way. This bridges the gap between class content and study habits.

Tip 2. Use high contrast for better readability

High contrast isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s essential for making sure your content is legible to everyone, including students with low vision or dyslexia. Research shows that ensuring adequate contrast is key to inclusive learning environments.

A quick test to check if your slides meet this criteria: Squint at your slide. If headings or key text blur into the background, it’s time to adjust the colours.

Tip 3. Save bold colours for key takeaways

If every heading or box is bright and bold, then nothing stands out. Reserve your punchiest colours for truly critical information, like exam tips, or non-negotiable instructions. This helps direct attention where it’s needed most.

Most slide tools like PowerPoint or Google Slides let you customise a colour theme. Choose a small, consistent palette with just one or two standout shades so your visuals stay cohesive and easy to follow.

Tip 4. Colour-code steps in a process

Colour is especially helpful in procedural or multi-step learning—think math formulas, scientific methods, or historical timelines. Assigning different colours to each step can help students see the flow of logic or action, reducing confusion along the way.

When working through problems on a whiteboard or document camera, change pen colours as you go. It makes each stage feel distinct and helps students understand how one step leads to the next.

Tip 5. Use colour in feedback to clarify meaning

Sarah suggests rethinking traditional red-pen marking. “Students can associate red with failure,” she says. “Try using green for improvement areas, pink for positive feedback and maybe blue for next steps. It gives feedback more nuance and helps students better process what to do next.”

Why colour theory makes an impact

Colour theory isn’t just about making lessons look pretty—it’s a necessary tool that can guide attention, support memory and help students differentiate key ideas without adding unnecessary distraction.

At Atomi, we believe every design choice should serve a learning goal. From using highlights to draw attention to critical definitions to selecting colour palettes that feel age-appropriate and accessible, our approach ensures that content isn’t just visually engaging—it’s effective for all types of learners.

And while colour plays an important role, it’s just one part of the bigger picture. When paired with research-backed strategies like cognitive load reduction, explicit instruction, and thoughtfully chunked content, it becomes even more impactful.

Want to explore how all these elements work together? Download our guide on cognitive load theory to see how Atomi designs content that supports attention, minimises overload and helps learners build confidence—one bite-sized lesson at a time.

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