Representation
The first representation of the spectrum was proposed by
Sir Isaac Newton, who combined colors in a circle. Many variants would come
later, but for this work we will use the simplified version.
Emotional response to Color
The emotional response to color depends on the user's
cultural context. In Western cultures there is a certain correlation between
color and emotional response.
Red: danger, alert, hot, exciting
Blue: masculine, cold, calm, reliable, stable
White: purity, honesty
Pastel:
feminine, sensitivity, gentleness
Orange:
emotional, positivism, young
Black: density,
seriousness, death, authority, power
Pink:
feminine, warm, young
Green: nature, comfort,
positivism (hope)
Color Perception Deficiencies
Statistics vary, but somewhere between 8% and 20% of the population
suffer some sort of color perception deficiency, or color blindness, due to
coding abnormalities in the genes responsible for the cone photopigments
(located in the X chromosome). As a consequence, these people can perceive
colors but at certain wavelengths their perception is altered, and in extreme
cases, they can't see any color at all.
The most common form of color blindness is "red-green,"
and it owes its name to the cones responsible for perceiving that area of the
spectrum. This deficiency affects mainly the male population, as they have only
one X chromosome. On the other hand, it is less prevalent among women because
both X chromosomes would have to be defective for a woman to be affected.
Blue cone deficiencies are rare, and usually associated
with much more serious vision disorders.
Whatever the accurate statistic, the fact remains that a
significant percentage of users suffer some sort of color perception deficiency.
For example, a combination of colors that for you are contrasting may blend
together in the eyes of some people, completely losing the desired
effect.
In the next edition: factors to consider when defining
color or basic colors of transactions or websites.
Jorge Marmion is author and director of the
development project of "DB-Examiner", which has been ranked as one of the top
100 applications worldwide by DM Review readers in 1998, 1999, and 2000. The
software has been included in the ERWin product suite, and distributed by
Computer Associates under the name of "ALLFusion Data Model Validator."
Nowadays, Mr. Marmion is the head of the Brazilian Institute of
User-Friendliness and Usability (www.ibrau.com.br) and the Latin American
Usability Institute (www.ilau.org).