I can't speak for this palette, but I just selected a color palette for a new startup I'm working with and here's what went into the consideration: • We starte

I can't speak for this palette, but I just selected a color palette for a new startup I'm working with and here's what went into the consideration: • We started by choosing a couple of colors we liked (green, purple, blue) • Next we used Pantone's 2014 color forecast to see what shades of those colors would be used in fashion/product design for products hitting the shelves in spring/summer 2014 • After selecting a palette of trendy shades of our chosen colors, we used color theory (science) to "tune" the shades of those colors so they worked together in harmony • Lastly, we tested our palette against the most common forms of colorblindness to ensure that each shade was distinct (our primary target is adult males, who are the most colorblind demographic) Think of colors as wavelengths of light. We're really familiar with the science of matching wavelengths of sound (like music notes, making chords when wavelengths work in harmony, and the idea of a measured scale of tones from low to high. Some musicians can 'play by ear', and likewise some artists and designers just rely on their gut to pick wavelengths that 'feel' right together. Obviously your mileage may vary. Thankfully, just like we have explored the relationships between wavelengths of sound and constructed science and mathematical formulas around it (music theory) we can also apply similar principles to wavelengths of light (color theory). So to answer your question yes, but also yes. Shameless plug: here's the palette [1] our startup is using, based on whim, trend, and ultimately science. It's similar to Bootstrap 3.0, Hubspot's blog palette, and Android's new color scheme - but I think ours will perform a little better. [1] http://i.imgur.com/aBstzQj.png http://i.imgur.com/aBstzQj.png edit: I am a trained graphic designer and took classes in Colour Theory and Perception during school, so it is something that is formally taught. If design science gets you all excited, just wait until you hear about some of the geometric relationships in typography (font design)