Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Color Stories: Coding with Color
Within a complex visual environment, color can
help distinguish different kinds of information, as well as create relationships among
components or editions of a publication. A designer might develop, for example, a
palette for graphic and typographic elements that helps readers distinguish between spe-
cific text components (headlines, subheads, and body) or between sections of informa-
tion. Or, a designer might use a general palette for all elements that is based on the color
or thematic content of photographs. Perhaps this palette has a consistent base, like a se-
lection of warm neutrals that remains constant, while accent colors change. The use of
colors can be coded—assigning colors to identify sections or components—or not. Co-
lor coding is one option for using color as a system. To be effective, color coding must
be relatively simple and must be easily identifiable. Using more colors for coding cre-
ates confusion, as the viewer is forced to try to remember which color relates to which
information. Color coding within a related set of hues—a deep blue, an aqua blue, and a
green, for example—can help distinguish subcategories of information within an over-
all grouping, but ensure that the viewer is able to perceive the differences between the
colors. Pushing the colors further apart in relation to each other might help—for ex-
ample, the deep blue might be skewed toward the violet while yellow is added to the
green.
