The Sophistry of Guidelines: Revisiting Recipes for Color Use in Human-Computer Interface Design

A survey study of color guidelines for user-computer interface design was undertaken and assessed against relevant knowledge about the human perceptual system. The main problem found is that some guidelines are dissociated from knowledge of how the human perceptual system works in relation to the constraints of the computer as a medium for perception. The guidelines approach, whose goal is to produce straightforward, concise recommendations for a diverse audience, may encourage this situation. Some specific problems and gaps in color guidelines are discussed. An alternative approach based on gearing guidance to the difficulties and common problems faced by designers is sketched.