To old-school designers, the word gradient might still bring back memories of outdated Microsoft PowerPoint word art. But in modern UI design, gradients have undergone a major transformation. Today, gradient UI elements are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional. Whether you're working with linear gradients that follow a straight line or more dynamic conic gradients, you can create depth, focus, and visual interest without overwhelming the interface.
At Onething, we believe in the principle that less is more. A well-chosen gradient—whether custom-built with a gradient generator or crafted from scratch to reflect your brand’s tone—can convey a surprising amount of meaning and emotion. Many UI/UX design companies in India are increasingly adopting gradient techniques to elevate the digital experiences they create.
What’s even more exciting is how easy it has become to create gradients and experiment with your own gradient styles. The flexibility and creative freedom they offer make them a powerful asset in any designer’s toolkit. In this article, we’ll explore how to use gradients thoughtfully in your UI colour palette, without compromising modern design standards.
A Note on Colour Theory
To begin integrating gradients effectively into your UI elements, it’s essential to first understand the fundamentals of colour theory. This involves knowing how colours interact—whether they complement or contrast one another—and how this property affects the overall visual balance. These principles are particularly important when working with gradient UI, where smooth transitions can either enhance the design or, if poorly applied, lead to a negative user experience.
There are different types of gradients—ranging in length, diagonal direction, and intensity—each of which can be used strategically depending on the layout and objective. Whether you're drawing subtle transitions in a background or including dimension to buttons, understanding these theories helps you maintain harmony across the interface.
Many designers begin by creating sketch drafts to experiment with gradients before implementing them in digital tools. Mastering these concepts will allow you to build sophisticated, functional gradient styles that elevate the look and feel of your interface.
Complimentary
This encompasses two colors that are directly opposite to one another on the color wheel. This leads to the colors having high contrast and appearing ‘punchy' and vivid in combination with one another. On our work with the RBL Bank YOUnique Credit Card, the red and blue color scheme throughout the web pages is complementary.
Monochromatic
This is defined as using three variations of tone, tint, or shade taken from the same base color, resulting in a similar effect of harmony and continuity across the design, with each color placed in a specific position to maintain balance and cohesion within the layout. This gives a unified look to a project, giving a calmness, harmony, and continuity to every element. Our work on Revolt used different tints and shades of a light blue color to bring a futurist look to the project.
Analogous
An analogous colour scheme is when three colours directly adjacent to one another are taken from the color wheel, and used in a design, not to be confused with the aforementioned monochromatic, since all three colors are distinct. An example of this is our work on the Netradyne project, where the fiery colour scheme of orange, red and yellow were used.
Triadic
The triadic colour scheme is a vibrant, high-contrast combination involving three colours evenly spaced on the colour wheel. This property makes it most effective when one colour is given prominence, while the other two serve as complementary accents. A great example of this can be seen in our work on the PVR app, where yellow takes centre stage, with red and green playing supporting roles.
When thoughtfully implemented, gradient UI design includes more than just visual appeal—it enhances usability, encourages user interaction, and contributes to a more engaging overall experience. By adjusting the position of colors within a gradient, whether from left to right or across a diagonal, you can create a smooth and purposeful transition that feels intuitive.
In projects like Qubo, we've shown how to effectively set gradients to complement content without overwhelming it. Whether you're working with free-form structured templates, using gradients with ease and intention is key. Just remember to avoid overuse or clashing combinations, and you’ll be able to deliver stunning results that elevate the UI effortlessly.
Types of Gradient UI You Can Create with a Gradient Generator
There are tens of types of gradients that exist and can be used effectively in UI's. We'll illustrate just three basic types which should be sufficient to get a foundational understanding of how they work.
Linear
The quintessential gradient, simply one colour fading into another across a straight axis, either horizontally, or vertically. As mentioned above, this type of gradient is great for creating momentum on a page, especially from a users' perspective. The ring around the Apple Music logo is linear across a diagonal axis, transitioning smoothly from pink to blue.
Radial
Radial is the kind of gradient that begins at a point and fans outwards, or the reverse. Most commonly, this is found in logos and can be used to great effect to elevate designs that are simple in either construction or colour.
Reflected
Reflected gradients are essentially when a standard gradient is created, then reflected across an axis to make it appear encased. This way, the gradient begins and ends with the similar colour, and has a dash of a separate shade in the center. Most commonly used in luxury brands, such as the Audi logo.
Why Use Gradients in Your UI Design?
As mentioned, gradients aren’t merely for visual flair — they can play a much deeper role in the UI design process. Here are a few reasons to consider using gradients more frequently in your interface designs.
Place emphasis on certain elements
Gradients are not only a striking element, but can also be highly functional. The shift of colors in UI gradients, in particular, can be used to guide users' eyes from one part of the design to another. For eg, the colors theory suggests that the eye naturally moves from light to dark, creating an infinite number of possibilities to subtly shift the user around the page, without relying heavily on text or scrolling gimmicks.
Easily elevate simple concepts
Look no further than Instagram's logo for an eg. of this. In essence, just a circle, inside a square, inside a bigger square, but the pink, to purple, to yellow gradient just takes the design to another level, while still keeping the elegant simplicity of the original concept. While not a UI design per se, this illustrates in a vacuum that minimal, simple, or even flat content can be given plenty of character by using gradients effectively.
Adding depth with lights and shadows
Novice designers may not know this, but shadows and highlights all fall under the category of UI gradients. Truth is, there is no such thing as an exclusively ‘flat' colour, any colour can be given depth with proper manipulation of light and shadow. With the flat UI colours design trend slowly falling out of favor with some influential designers, perhaps it's time to get some practice playing with shadows to bring depth back into your designs!
Tips to better implement gradients in UI
Be mindful of colour choices
Unsurprisingly, one of the biggest rules of design also carries over into designing UI gradients. Colour theory for designers is a foundational piece of knowledge that is carried into all aspects of the field, and the manipulation of colour to achieve certain effects is a must-have skill for any designer.
A great eg. of this is to look at the websites of vehicles aimed at different audiences. Aston Martin's website always puts their car configurators in profile view with a radial gradient consisting of grayscale tones, normally white to black from behind the car. This puts into focus the luxury, elegance, and simple brilliance of their vehicles, appealing to an older, more mature audience. Conversely, the website of the Honda Civic, marketed internationally towards millennials and young professionals, puts the car in configurator view against a gradient of bright colours in UI, normally yellows, signifying the youthful and fun side of the brand.
Additionally, be sure to use complementary colors; gradients in UI are a fantastic way to spice up a design, but done poorly, they look amateurish and lacklustre. This tool by Codepen allows designers to play around with UI gradients and experiment with colour theory. We'd highly recommend testing your concepts before transitioning into final designs.
Spend time on smoothing transitions
It will take time and effort to perfect a gradient, and it's unlikely that you'll crack a visually striking one on your first attempt. Play around with colors stops, try adding or deleting steps to the gradient, or messing with the number of colors in the gradient. Also, keep in mind that long transitions aren't necessarily always the answer, and in some cases, like shading smaller elements, short transitions can put more emphasis on the motion. Experiment with 3-step gradients, which can work well when using understated tones. As with all other things in UI design, some tweaking and meddling is required, but we assure you the final result will be worth it.
Use contrast to improve accessibility
Approaching the end of the article, you're probably dying to start creating some gorgeous UI gradients yourself. However, there's one final tip you must consider: gradients can destroy any semblance of readability on your design if executed incorrectly, and can throw your compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines off a cliff immediately.
Fret not, we've got a solution for you. Using contrasting elements over a gradient can easily combat this issue and elevate your design even further. A great eg. of this is The Impossible Bureau, whose website balances bright UI gradients with white text to great effect, leading to unexpectedly high readability levels. A contrast ratio of 4.5:1 is recommended for standard text, and we'd not suggest going below that in any case. This tool, utilizing colour theory, can help you optimize and min-max the perfect contrast for accessibility in your gradient design.
Conclusion
To sum up, don't be afraid of gradients! As a UI designer, a gradient can be another arrow in your quiver when it comes to making extensive and attractive designs. Additionally, it can include another dimension to designs that otherwise have ‘that special something' missing. Hence, using gradient design as a UI UX design company can ensure that the company is not just at the forefront of embracing contemporary design but also adaptive to meet industry standards. Shading and highlights can include depth to designs as well, which will be useful as and when the industry moves away from a ‘flat UI' trend. Experiment, and see what works; you're bound to find some value in using UI designs.
FAQ’s
How do you apply a gradient in Photoshop?
After selecting foreground and background colours, select the space in which you wish to apply a gradient. Select the gradient tool from the toolbox, and select the type of gradient from the gradient tool's options. Then, simply point and click where you want the gradient to appear.
What is a gradient logo?
A gradient logo is essentially a logo that has been filled with a gradient. An example of this is the modern Instagram logo, which is essentially a collection of basic shapes, where the yellow/purple/pink gradient includes plenty of character to it. Gradients are a great way to elevate simple logos, or reinvigorate older designs with modern sensibilities.
What's the new color for 2025?
Some of the trending and top colour schemes in UI have been pastels and washed-out denim tones. Going along with the theme of minimalism, gray or monochromatic colour schemes are still trendy in the world of UI; however, implementing splashes of bright colours can elevate these otherwise simple designs.
What are the trends for 2025?
There have been many major emerging UI trends in 2020, here are our top picks: - Responsive colours - Oversized, bold typography - Animated illustrations - Microanimations and micro-interactions
How do you put a gradient on text?
In Illustrator, remove the default fill and stroke of the text you want to apply a gradient to. Then, after selecting the text, include a gradient to the fill using the panel, and you’ll see it applied in the workspace.
Where is the gradient tool Photoshop?
The gradient tool is in the toolbox as standard. If not visible, you must have the paint bucket tool equipped instead. Simply long-press the paint bucket, and replace with the gradient tool when the dropdown option appears.
How do you change the gradient color in Photoshop 2025?
With the gradient tool selected, open the gradient panel which has further settings to customise the colours. Here, you can include colour stops, as well as adjust the colour of the gradient as a whole. Then, use the tool to apply the gradient, or the selection tool to place it on a pre-existing object.
Why is my gradient black and white Photoshop?
There are two possible issues here. First, the default gradient is a simple black to white, which you can avoid as mentioned above in the gradient settings. Secondly, you might be using a greyscale colour gamut, and you'll need to switch to RGB or CMYK before colours start appearing in your design.
How do I make a transparent gradient in Photoshop CC?
This effect can be achieved by adding the gradient to a layer mask. This allows for a fade effect to be achieved on top of a pre-existing layer. Simply use the gradient tool on a masking layer, and select one of the colour steps to be transparent.
Is GREY still in for 2025?
Yes! Grey contributes greatly to the minimalist and futuristic look which many UI's strive for in 2020. However, the use of a grayscale colour theme almost always benefits from a splash of another colour or two.
What is Ctrl +J in Photoshop?
The Ctrl + J shortcut is by default assigned to the ‘duplicate layer' command in Photoshop. The selected area upon entering the command will be shifted to a newly created layer, which can then be worked on.
What is Gradient Overlay in Photoshop?
The gradient overlay set is the settings menu located in the lower right-hand corner of the screen when the gradient tool is selected. Here, you can add color steps, adjust the color gamut, or modify the color scheme of your gradient to customize your design.
How can you add another color to the gradient?
Yes! Using the gradient overlay, or overlay, on the lower right-hand corner when selecting the gradient tool, you can include steps to the gradient for more colours to appear in your final design.
How do I move the gradient layer in Photoshop?
Using the layer effects menu, select the gradient overlay. Now, when you hover over the gradient, you should get the movement cursor, rather than the regular one. Simply drag and drop the gradient where you wish to move it!
Why is my Photoshop stuck in grayscale?
The most likely issue is that you’re working with a grayscale colour gamut. To bring colour—and a bit of creative love—back to your workboard, simply switch the mode to RGB or CMYK. You can do this using the settings menu in Photoshop.
How do you gradient a shape in Photoshop?
Simply create the desired shape in advance, and then use the gradient tool to fill it with the colours of your choice. You can adjust the gradient using the settings panel located at the bottom right of the screen.
How do you make a gradient rainbow in Photoshop?
Select the gradient tool, and then, from the appearance menu, ensure that you have 7 steps in the gradient. Then, change the colours of the steps to match those of the rainbow, and fill any shape to apply the rainbow gradient there!