In the realm of user experience design, color plays a vital role in guiding users, enhancing usability, and conveying brand identity. Within SAP Fiori—the design system that shapes SAP’s modern enterprise applications—color is not just an aesthetic choice but a strategic element carefully defined through its color palettes. Understanding SAP Fiori color palettes is essential for developers, designers, and consultants who want to build visually consistent, accessible, and impactful SAP applications.
SAP Fiori color palettes are predefined sets of colors that form the backbone of SAP’s visual identity and user interface design. These palettes ensure that colors used across all Fiori applications create a coherent and harmonious experience, reinforcing brand recognition while supporting usability and accessibility.
The color palettes are designed to be flexible and scalable, supporting a wide range of use cases—from primary interface elements to subtle backgrounds and interactive states—while adhering to SAP’s corporate branding and design principles.
SAP Fiori uses two main types of color palettes:
The Core Palette is the primary set of colors used throughout SAP Fiori applications. It includes:
The Accent Palette complements the Core Palette and provides additional colors that can be used to highlight specific UI elements, add visual variety, or represent different categories or statuses. These colors are typically brighter and more vibrant.
All Fiori apps must adhere to these palettes to maintain a consistent user experience. This consistency helps users transfer knowledge from one app to another, reducing cognitive load and speeding up task completion.
SAP Fiori allows limited customization through themes, enabling companies to tailor colors while staying within the accessible and consistent framework. For instance, the SAP Belize theme uses the Core Palette with subtle modifications suited for specific customer needs.
SAP Fiori color palettes are designed to meet WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards, ensuring that colors provide enough contrast and are distinguishable by users with color vision deficiencies. Designers must test their color combinations for compliance and avoid relying solely on color for important UI cues.
Mastering SAP Fiori color palettes is a fundamental step in crafting effective, beautiful, and accessible SAP applications. By leveraging SAP’s well-defined color standards, designers and developers can deliver consistent user interfaces that not only align with SAP’s brand identity but also enhance usability and inclusiveness. Whether working on a new Fiori app or customizing an existing one, understanding how to apply the right colors is key to successful SAP UX design.