Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
The four colour bars on the left demonstrate a strong contrast between the background colour
and the text. The bars on the right show a weak contrast, making illegibility more likely.
The greater the contrast between elements, the easier it is to tell them apart. Look
at the block of four colours with reversed-out text shown above. These would be re-
latively easy for someone with a visual impairment to read, as the amount of con-
trast between the elements is strong. Conversely, the other four show poor contrast
between the foreground and background. The white text against yellow is very dif-
ficult to read. If you compare these combinations they are not as successful as the
previous ones.
Field of view
Another important point is to group relevant chunks of information together. Certain
eye conditions can lead to a loss of peripheral vision, meaning any elements not in
the central portion of our field of vision are obscured. There is also the loss of the
central field of vision, which means only areas at the outer edge can be distinguished.
Although most people adapt to this kind of visual impairment, it would help when ar-
ranging information to try to keep it clustered together so that the area needing to be
viewed is reduced.
Technical issues relating to visual impairment
The designer needs to be aware that certain decisions can have a dramatic effect on
how legible a design is to a visually challenged audience. These could include choices
of colour, scale and weight within a design solution; for example, particular colour
