ColorBox

What Is ColorBox?

ColorBox is a free web-based design tool in the **Design** category that generates smooth gradients and color palettes. Developed by the Lyft Design team, ColorBox enables users to create consistent color scales and variations for use in UI design, design systems, and digital projects. It fits into the early stages of the design workflow, where designers establish color foundations before applying them in tools like Figma or Sketch.

What ColorBox Does

• Generates color scales with customizable steps, such as 11 shades from color 0 to color 100.
• Allows adjustment of hue ranges, specifying start and end values between 0 and 359 degrees.
• Controls saturation progression across a range from 0 to 1, enabling acceleration or deceleration for branded or grayscale effects.
• Produces smooth gradients with distinct variations, maintaining consistency across tools and monitors.
• Supports export options, including JSON files for import into Figma via plugins.
• Provides control over gradient curves to emphasize lighter or darker shades as needed.

How ColorBox Can Be Used

• Designers audit existing colors in Figma files or websites, then input base colors into ColorBox to generate a unified palette for buttons, hover states, and active components.
• Teams build design systems by creating gradients for primary colors like reds or yellows, exporting scales to Figma for shared style libraries.
• Individual creators produce color sets for one-off UI designs, adjusting hue and saturation to match brand guidelines.
• Developers reference ColorBox outputs to migrate legacy colors in codebases, ensuring front-end consistency with design tools.
• Workflow integration involves pasting HEX or JSON data from ColorBox into design software for rapid palette application.

Who Is ColorBox For?

ColorBox serves UI designers, design system maintainers, and front-end developers who need algorithmic color generation for consistent palettes and gradients. It suits teams at companies like Lyft working on scalable color systems, as well as freelancers handling brand color variations in projects. Experience levels range from intermediate users familiar with color theory to advanced practitioners building shared libraries in Figma or Sketch. Visit ColorBox