Title: Default Admin Color Scheme Update Author: Hugo Baeta Published: April 5, 2015 --- [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/hugobaeta/) [Hugo Baeta](https://profiles.wordpress.org/hugobaeta/) 7:59 pm _on_ April 5, 2015 Tags: 4.2, [colors ( 3 )](https://make.wordpress.org/design/tag/colors/) # Default Admin Color Scheme Update Earlier in the 4.2 cycle, I opened a [ticket proposing changes to the default color scheme](https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/31234) for wp-admin. After much consideration and a few changes, it is being brought into coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress.. I’d like to explain the changes made, and the reason for them in this post! This started as part of an exercise to document the colors used by core for the [Design Handbook](https://make.wordpress.org/design/handbook) (work in progress). My instinct to iterate on the colors and try to make them more harmonious kicked in, and so I ran an experiment that resulted in this: [⌊color-changes-chart⌉⌊color-changes-chart⌉[ Here’s a breakdown of HEX color changes: | Grays | | Old | New | | #111111 | #191e23 | | #222222 | [#23282d](https://make.wordpress.org/design/tag/23282d/) | | #333333 | [#32373c](https://make.wordpress.org/design/tag/32373c/) | | #4b4b4b | #464b50 | | #888888 | [#82878c](https://make.wordpress.org/design/tag/82878c/) | | #aaaaaa | [#a0a5aa](https://make.wordpress.org/design/tag/a0a5aa/) | | #bbbbbb | [#b4b9be](https://make.wordpress.org/design/tag/b4b9be/) | | Blues | | Old | New | | #0074a2 | [#0073aa](https://make.wordpress.org/design/tag/0073aa/) | | #2ea2cc | [#00a0d2](https://make.wordpress.org/design/tag/00a0d2/) | | #45bbe6 | [#00b9eb](https://make.wordpress.org/design/tag/00b9eb/) | In essence, the grays were given a slight blue hue, and the for the blues I removed the red channel almost completely, for a purer blue. In both cases, I attempted to keep the value of the colors (lightness/darkness), so the change would be as seamless as possible, while giving the admin a new sense of refinement and identity. [@iammattthomas](https://profiles.wordpress.org/iammattthomas/) commented on the ticket, summarizing this change quite eloquently: > My subjective feeling is that the shift in colors is so slight, it doesn’t really > change the feeling we intended to convey with the original MP6 colors. If anything, > it makes the grays look more intentional, a color palette designed to work harmoniously > rather than pairing a signature shade of blue with a lot of neutral grays.   And here’s a side-by-side comparison of the old (left) and new (right) colors in use on the admin: [⌊color-wpadmin⌉⌊color-wpadmin⌉[ I believe this updated color scheme can still be iterated upon, specially regarding concerns of contrast and accessibilityAccessibility Accessibility (commonly shortened to a11y) refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). (https://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Accessibility) (that weren’t addressed in this round, but are certainly a priority for the next release cycle). I’d love to hear your thoughts! [#4-2](https://make.wordpress.org/design/tag/4-2/), [#colors](https://make.wordpress.org/design/tag/colors/) ### Share this: * [ Threads ](https://make.wordpress.org/design/2015/04/05/default-admin-color-scheme-update/?share=threads) * [ Mastodon ](https://make.wordpress.org/design/2015/04/05/default-admin-color-scheme-update/?share=mastodon) * [ Bluesky ](https://make.wordpress.org/design/2015/04/05/default-admin-color-scheme-update/?share=bluesky) * [ Facebook ](https://make.wordpress.org/design/2015/04/05/default-admin-color-scheme-update/?share=facebook) * [ X ](https://make.wordpress.org/design/2015/04/05/default-admin-color-scheme-update/?share=x) * [ Reddit ](https://make.wordpress.org/design/2015/04/05/default-admin-color-scheme-update/?share=reddit) * [ Email ](https://make.wordpress.org/design/2015/04/05/default-admin-color-scheme-update/?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20Default%20Admin%20Color%20Scheme%20Update&body=https%3A%2F%2Fmake.wordpress.org%2Fdesign%2F2015%2F04%2F05%2Fdefault-admin-color-scheme-update%2F&share=email) 1. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/5437f5b6124c08e8d9ab5f8a4b6a97cf3f6966aee694ef98417db8bdcc13b937? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 2. [Mel Choyce](https://profiles.wordpress.org/melchoyce/) 8:04 pm _on_ April 5, 2015 3. 😊💛 4. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0cba87f5d1614b0b60cecc64f3d836608cd944566cce6a01e446ab5e8ed86e35? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 5. [Joen Asmussen](https://profiles.wordpress.org/joen/) 8:05 pm _on_ April 5, 2015 6. Love it! 7. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/92c9b71af01db9777d29870c622c80ef94d1344158eb2f5965f4bbe8efed251a? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 8. [Eric Lewis](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ericlewis/) 8:29 pm _on_ April 5, 2015 9. This is fun. 10. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/941a8be922aa9ecc5a31d2645ac8b430a3973e1312c2d7fef2c6da27f6a44b86? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 11. [Michael](https://profiles.wordpress.org/webyip/) 8:42 pm _on_ April 5, 2015 12. Nice work! <3 13. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/5a5afe72170f4bc36482205c38f357708cba9f38afdef81e12c037e78ea5e993? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 14. [Radices](https://profiles.wordpress.org/radices/) 9:46 pm _on_ April 5, 2015 15. There is absolutely no difference on my Monitors. 16. * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/2f3047dd0ab8cff7995f253c4190f0221dec5bb1d8d376d1c5f5746353521abf? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Carrie Dils](https://profiles.wordpress.org/cdils/) 12:14 am _on_ April 6, 2015 * Time to calibrate. 😉 * Looks good! 17. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/50a90117de19196ffd1b3f016b5bb52174ce4d2c4e06248f3a137a335091e097? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 18. [patilswapnilv](https://profiles.wordpress.org/patilswapnilv/) 5:13 am _on_ April 6, 2015 19. Nice Work! Looks awesome. 20. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/32f5d025c7f4d626069f01d632a987b31bd3f4d1495c2a129d0c04c5db6392eb? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 21. [nvartolomei](https://profiles.wordpress.org/nvartolomei/) 10:56 am _on_ April 6, 2015 22. On my retina screen the new color scheme looks too bluish. Maybe you should dim the blue channel a little bit for greys? :/ The intention is good, the result could be better. 23. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a7d2558a93549fe9974c9f46f60928c5e5bc0a1b99f8840a4a9d718fe11ab270? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 24. [keoshi](https://profiles.wordpress.org/keoshi/) 3:29 pm _on_ April 6, 2015 25. Nicely done, dude. 26. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/2ceb3dee3e4c3e011a65f01bca41928a784d1fc71d1cc9012bb32363403772dd? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 27. [teamadesign](https://profiles.wordpress.org/teamadesign/) 5:21 pm _on_ April 6, 2015 28. Looks great! The greys feel much more unique and part of the team. 29. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/344b85bdcc58d3616e79ea28fc21ab8dbb0bfffe5b0bc2c557035d34cabe9ee4? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 30. [Ajay Kumar Dass](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ajay-kumar-dass/) 11:12 am _on_ April 22, 2015 31. Its great, I am designing a website but i am not able to select interesting colours in it view [NGO in Uttrakhand](http://ruraltourismwelfare.org) 32. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0b0c81c13a24d4d692406484b5bda1b84e1a9f360c4f0a4381de5d444b633882? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 33. [ursinus123](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ursinus123/) 1:34 am _on_ April 25, 2015 34. No, please bring back gray. This blue is annoying. 35. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/94477a3ba21086a381cbfd63a26be8742a9ab0c4d3a211d13b2ced66c96c23c7? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 36. [Andrew](https://profiles.wordpress.org/anevins/) 11:31 am _on_ April 25, 2015 37. [@Ajay](https://profiles.wordpress.org/Ajay/) Kumar Dass, You’re not even using WordPress -.- 38. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b302c52241eb77753cf8ef24e28a425a04c21c979a695c5127f8809bca995c3b? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 39. [swoboda](https://profiles.wordpress.org/swoboda/) 7:55 am _on_ April 30, 2015 40. I don’t like the new colors based on the few days spent with the new WP. The grays were much more neutral and easier to customize for clients’ needs. Comments are closed. # Post navigation [← Image Flow Update 2nd April](https://make.wordpress.org/design/2015/04/02/image-flow-update-2nd-april/) [Just a reminder that the image flow meeting… →](https://make.wordpress.org/design/2015/04/16/just-a-reminder-that-the-image-flow-meeting/)