The logo of Google (blue, red, yellow, plus green – a modified tetradic, but the principle holds). Worst real-world example: A 1990s arcade carpet (equal amounts of saturated magenta, cyan, and yellow – pure chaos).

A triadic color scheme uses three colors evenly spaced around the color wheel , forming an equilateral triangle. This creates a naturally balanced, vibrant palette. The key is that while the contrast is high (like complementary schemes), it retains harmony because no single color overwhelmingly dominates the visual tension.

Use triads when you want energy with order; avoid them when you need serenity or ultra-minimalism.