A colorblind coworker saved my presentation from a major flaw

I made a presentation with bar charts using red and green. My colorblind coworker told me he could not tell the bars apart. I was mad at myself for not thinking of this sooner. I looked online and found tips about adding patterns like stripes and dots. I also put text labels on each bar to make things clear. This made the charts work for everyone, not just him. Now I test my colors with a simulator tool before I finish any design. It's a quick check that helps a lot.

2 comments

2 Comments

bailey.sandra5d ago

Use simulators but don't rely only on them. @lisaf20 talked about building checks in. Those tools can't catch every type of color vision. Patterns and labels are good steps. They still might not work for all people. Always show your design to a real person if possible. That feedback is gold.

lisaf205d ago

That's such an easy thing to overlook, but it makes a huge difference. It's awesome that fixing it actually made the charts better for everyone. Great reminder to build in those checks from the start