Motivation 

From a young age, creativity was my playground- I spent countless hours sketching cartoons, building makeshift shelters for puppies, and participated in local art competitions. Despite my enthusiasm, I struggled with coloring, which made me doubt my artistic abilities. This led me to gradually step away from sketching.

Situations changed during my architecture studies. One memorable moment was when I presented a project featuring what I believed were standard red bricks, only to find out they were pink! The revelation amused my classmates but left me feeling puzzled and embarrassed. That was the day I discovered I was colorblind.

As my design education was in its final phase, the challenge of selecting a thesis topic that was both relevant to the field of design and personally meaningful became increasingly apparent. It was during this period of exploration and uncertainty that an idea began to take shape: Delving into the experiences of designers who are colorblind and help other designers like myself? This could be an opportunity to gather insights, share my findings, and even explore existing tools more deeply.

Research Question

What can be learned from the design methodologies and challenges faced by colorblind creative professionals? Furthermore, how can this knowledge be leveraged to make the practice of designing and viewing design more inclusive?

Relevance

For Colorblind Designers

Colorblind designers often face unique challenges when creating graphical user interfaces (GUIs). These interfaces typically use color to convey critical information, such as differentiating buttons, links, icons, charts, and maps. Poor color choices can cause these elements to blend into the background, become indistinguishable, or lose their impact, leading to user frustration, increased errors, and confusion. Additionally, colorblind designers may struggle to understand how their color choices affect viewers with different types of color vision deficiencies, compromising the design’s functionality and aesthetic integrity and potentially alienating part of their audience. (Holland, 2024)

For Normally Sighted

Designers with normal color vision face their own set of challenges in ensuring their creations are accessible to everyone, including those with color vision deficiencies. Often, they may not fully understand how colorblind users perceive their designs, which can result in significant accessibility barriers. This disconnect can lead to challenges in collaboration and communication with peers or clients who have varying expectations and perceptions regarding color usage, affecting the overall design quality and effectiveness.

Some shocking facts

There are an estimated 300 mil. people worldwide with color vision deficiency, requiring accessible design practices (Colour Blind Awareness, 2024)

A significant 81% of homepages have low-contrast text, making it difficult for users with visual impairments to read and understand the content (WebAIM, 2024).

Inaccessible websites can have a considerable financial impact. For instance, UK retailers lost approximately £17.1 billion in revenue in 2019 due to inaccessible websites.

Although visual impairment is the most obvious barrier which can impact on someone’s ability to use what is still thought of as a predominantly visual medium, people with a wide range of auditory, physical, cognitive, neurological and speech disabilities also demand consideration.

Despite this clear commercial imperative, the findings of the 2019 survey point to a distinct and disappointing lack of progress over the last three years. As one survey respondent said, “I did this survey back in 2016 and to be honest things haven’t improved. In fact, some of the modern ways of designing websites has made navigation even harder.” (Williams & Brownlow, 2020). This is an example of one country out of the 195 others.

What is Color Theory?

Color theory is the study of how colors work together and how they affect our emotions and perceptions. It’s like a toolbox for artists, designers, and creators to help them choose the right colors for their projects. Color theory enables you to pick colors that go well together and convey the right mood or message in your work. (IxDF, 2024)

Sir Isaac Newton established color theory when he invented the color wheel in 1666. Newton understood colors as human perceptions-not absolute qualities-of wavelengths of light. By systematically categorizing colors, he defined three groups:

Primary (red, blue, yellow).

Secondary (mixes of primary colors).

Tertiary (or intermediate-mixes of primary and secondary colors).

Use of Color Theory

The right contrast is vital for catching users’ attention in the first place. The vibrancy you choose for your design is likewise crucial for provoking desired emotional responses from users. How they react to color choices depends on factors such as gender, experience, age and culture. In all cases, you should design for accessibility—e.g., regarding red-green colorblindness. You can fine-tune color choices through UX research to resonate best with specific users. Your users will encounter your design with their expectations of what a design in a certain industry should look like. That’s why you must also design to meet your market’s expectations geographically. For example, blue, an industry standard for banking in the West, has positive associations in other cultures as well. However, some colors can evoke contradictory feelings from certain nationalities (e.g., red: good fortune in China, mourning in South Africa, danger/sexiness in the USA). Overall, you should use usability testing to confirm your color choices. (IxDF, 2024)

Influence of Color

Historical and Philosophical Foundations

From antiquity, philosophers like Aristotle have linked colors to the elements—fire, earth, air, and water—proposing that these elements in various combinations could manifest different hues. This linkage suggested a cosmological significance to color, implying that it held fundamental truths about the natural world. Over the centuries, these philosophies evolved into a more structured understanding of color, affecting not just scientific discourse but also artistic expression. The Renaissance period, in particular, saw a resurgence of these ancient ideas, interwoven with emerging scientific insights, shaping a complex interplay between color theory and artistic practices. (Gage, 1999)

Religious and Symbolic Use of Color

Color symbolism penetrates deeply into the fabric of religious practices and is manifested across various faiths and spiritual traditions. In Christianity, for example, the liturgical colors—red, white, green, and purple—each hold specific significances, influencing the emotional and spiritual atmosphere of religious ceremonies. Similarly, in Eastern traditions, colors are used not only decoratively but also symbolically to represent philosophical concepts, such as the blue of Krishna,in Hinduism, symbolizing divine joy and love. These uses demonstrate how deeply color is woven into cultural and religious identities, serving both an aesthetic purpose and a communicative function within spiritual contexts. (Gage, 1999)

Impact of Scientific Understanding

The Enlightenment brought with it a new rigor in the scientific study of color, particularly through Isaac Newton’s prism experiments, which demonstrated that white light could be broken down into a spectrum of colors. This discovery challenged the classical idea of colors as properties of objects themselves and repositioned them as phenomena of light. Artists and thinkers of the time, influenced by these findings, began to experiment with color in ways that sought to replicate real-world experiences of light and shadow, profoundly impacting the development of artistic styles and techniques, such as those seen in Impressionism and later movements. (Gage, 1999)

Modern and Abstract Interpretations

The 20th century saw artists radically redefining the use of color, moving it from a supportive role in art to a central, defining aspect of artistic expression. Abstract artists like Mark Rothko and Yves Klein explored the emotional and psychological effects of color through minimalist compositions that emphasized the purity and depth of color fields. These works invite viewers to a contemplative engagement, where color is not just seen but experienced, invoking visceral responses and reflecting on the psychological power of color to move beyond the visible.

Cultural Variations in Color Perception

Cultural perceptions of color are profoundly diverse, reflecting the rich tapestry of human experience and societal development. Anthropological studies, such as those exploring the Himba tribe of Namibia, reveal that different societies categorize and prioritize colors differently based on linguistic and cultural contexts. For instance, the Himba have a unique color classification system that does not correspond directly to the way colors are categorized in Western cultures. They may have multiple words for shades of green that Westerners would not distinguish, while not having distinct words for colors that are easily identified in other cultures. These differences illustrate how language and culture shape the way we perceive and interact with the world around us.

Aging and Color Vision

Light, if it is to be seen, must first travel through the various ocular media: the cornea, the anterior chamber filled with aqueous humor, the lens, and the vitreous humor. It then passes through the layers of cells comprising the retina, where it can be absorbed by the rods and cones, the receptor cells that initiate vision. The clinically normal eye appears stable over much of the lifespan. Barring disease or trauma, senescent deterioration is seldom noticed until mid-to-late life. At first glance, aging of the eye appears to be a phenomenon of later life. Unfortunately, first impressions can be misleading. A closer look at the visual system shows it is constantly changing throughout life, even from a young age.

This change is demonstrated in Monet’s paintings on the right side of this page. The bridge on the top was painted in 1899, and the one on the bottom about 20 years later. In the intervening years, Monet’s cataracts had matured significantly. One sees a dramatic shift in colors from blues and greens to yellows and browns, and less distinct forms in the bottom painting, due to the scattering of light caused by his cataracts. Monet’s experience illustrates how age-related changes in the eye can profoundly affect visual perception and artistic expression. The clouding of the lens, typical of cataracts, alters color perception and reduces clarity and sharpness of vision. This example underscores the importance of understanding how the eye evolves over time and how these changes can impact daily life and creative endeavors. (Backhaus, Kliegl, & Werner, 1998)

What is Colorblindness

Colorblindness is a fairly common condition in which you don’t see colors in the traditional way. This happens when cones (a type of nerve cell in your eye retina) aren’t working correctly. Cones process light and images as they enter your eye and send signals to your brain 

that allow you to perceive color. Colorblindness usually doesn’t mean you can’t see any colors. The vast majority of people with colorblindness see a range of colors, but they see some colors differently than others do. They may also have trouble telling the difference between certain colors or shades. Some very rare forms of colorblindness make a person unable to see any colors. (Cleveland Clinic, 2023)

For most people, colorblindness is inherited. That means it’s passed down from your biological parents — from the mother or birthing parent in the most common red-green forms of colorblindness. This form of colorblindness, known as red-green colorblindness, is linked to the X chromosome, which is why it is more commonly seen in males, who have only one X chromosome, as opposed to females, who have two. A female would need to inherit two copies of the mutated gene to be colorblind, while a male only needs one. Injuries to the eye or brain can also impact color vision. Trauma that affects the areas of the brain responsible for processing visual information, such as the occipital lobe, can lead to changes in how colors are perceived. Similarly, damage to the eye itself, particularly the retina, can impair color vision.

Design with Colorblindness

Designers with colorblindness navigate a unique set of challenges that can significantly impact both their creative process and the final outcomes of their work. Despite the notable percentage of colorblind individuals globally, there remains a surprising lack of research and resources that focus specifically on the experiences and strategies of colorblind designers. This oversight underscores the critical importance of delving deeper into this topic.

Inclusive Design

“Inclusivity in design will help us build a smarter future—for everyone.”

It’s human nature to assume that our experiences are the most common and that everyone starts from the same place we do. Naturally, we’re all a little biased towards our own perspectives, often without even realizing it.

User research conducted by designers during every design exercise helps to combat this bias at the workflow level, ensuring that a diverse range of user needs and preferences are considered. However, A. Shaw, a product designer at Zendesk, found that this approach often falls short in helping us overcome the biases we have about other ways people experience products. For instance, have you ever conducted user testing with someone who is blind or has only one hand? She thinks many of us have had that experience, yet it’s crucial for truly inclusive design. (Shaw, 2020)

Existing Inclusive design practices

Just the word accessibility can sometimes cast an aura of “us versus them” on people who rely on accessible features. It implies a division between the so-called normal people and those who require special accommodations to navigate the world. This division is unhelpful and misleading. So we shall rather use “inclusivity” instead as it implies including everyone.

In the context of graphic design, inclusivity means making software usable by the widest range of people, including—but not limited to—those with disabilities.

A disability is a physical or mental condition that limits a person’s movements, senses, or activities. Disabilities affect many people across all ages, races, and social classes. It’s important to remember that not all disabilities are visible or conform to traditional notions of what disabilities look like.

Consider aging for example, aging itself isn’t a disability, but its side effects often lead to disabilities: vision deteriorates, and issues like bad hips, bad knees, and bad backs can slow us down or even require us to use a wheelchair. Memory may decline, and we can become more easily fatigued, which can limit both our physical movements and cognitive abilities. And these are just the normal aspects of aging!

At some point, we’re all going to need inclusive technology, like the big text setting on our phones. By focusing on inclusivity, we ensure that our designs cater to the broadest possible audience, creating products that everyone can use effectively, regardless of their abilities. Inclusive design means anticipating a diverse range of needs and ensuring that products are not only accessible but also enhance the user experience for all.

Some of the commonly used things were originally designed for inclusivity: remote controls, sidewalk cutouts and some companies create an entire product line. For instance, OXO’s brand promise is that their kitchen tools are easier for people with arthritis to use—but they’re easier to use for everyone, which is why the company is so successful. (Shaw, 2020)

Designing for the Colorblind

Designing for people with color deficiency doesn’t mean you have to forgo color entirely; you just need to be a bit more intentional with how you use it. Here are some best practices for designing with colorblindness in mind that is a culmination of my experience with existing researches (mentioned in the end) — all of which contribute to a more accessible and inclusive design.

Web content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are a set of guidelines and recommendations developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities. These guidelines aim to improve the usability of web content for a wide range of users, including those with visual, auditory, physical, cognitive, language, learning, and neurological disabilities.

Building on other's experience

Introduction

This section dives into the methods, tools, and basis for analyzing colorblindness in design. After a thorough literature and contextual review, it’s essential now to figure out what kind of information I need and how to extract it effectively. My investigation will follow the journey of a colorblind designer, from discovering their condition to reaching their current professional status in the creative field.

I also aim to bring together both colorblind and normal vision designers to observe their design processes. By engaging in similar activities, I can identify the differences and similarities in their approaches. Additionally, I’ll explore the level of awareness among all types of designers about inclusivity and universal design. This will help me capture gaps in their processes and encourage self-reflection through targeted questioning.

By doing this, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of how colorblindness affects design choices and strategies. This research will not only highlight the unique challenges faced by colorblind designers but also promote a more inclusive mindset within the design community.

Qualitative Research

Qualitative research in design is a methodological approach that seeks to understand the experiences, perceptions, and interactions of users with design elements. It involves collecting and analyzing non-numerical data to gain insights into the ways people engage with designs, how they perceive them, and the meanings they attach to their experiences. This research method is particularly valuable in the design field as it allows for an in-depth exploration of user needs, preferences, and behaviors.

Key qualitative research methods used in design include:

Interviews: These are one-on-one conversations that explore users’ thoughts, experiences, and feelings about a design. They can be structured, semi-structured, or unstructured, providing flexibility to probe deeper into specific areas of interest. (Rubin & Rubin, 2012)

Focus Groups: This method involves group discussions that generate insights through the interaction of participants. Focus groups help to understand collective views and the social dynamics that influence perceptions of a design. (Krueger & Casey, 2014)

Case Studies: Detailed examinations of specific instances of design use provide comprehensive insights into user experiences and the contextual factors that influence them. Case studies can illustrate how design solutions work in practice and identify areas for improvement. (Yin, 2018)

Quantitative Research

Quantitative research in design is all about numbers and measurable data. It’s the method you turn to when you need concrete, statistical evidence to back up your design decisions. Unlike qualitative research, which focuses on understanding the why and how of user interactions, quantitative research zeros in on the what, how much, and how often.

At its core, quantitative research uses structured tools like surveys, questionnaires, and analytics to gather data from a large number of users. This data is then analyzed using statistical methods to identify patterns, trends, and correlations. By asking a large group of people the same set of questions, you can gather a lot of data quickly. This method is great for measuring user satisfaction, preferences, and behavior trends. (Fowler, 2014)

Research Tools

Interview Recordings: For accuracy in capturing participant responses.

Workshop Observations: To document interactions and strategies during design tasks. If possible a notetaker while I conduct the workshop.

Questionnaires and Surveys (Post-Workshop): To gather additional quantitative and qualitative data from different ethnic groups.

Ethical Considerations:

Informed Consent: Obtaining from all participants, ensuring confidentiality and the option to withdraw at any stage.

Sensitivity and Respect: Ensuring all research interactions are conducted

with respect to the experiences of colorblind individuals.

Interviews

Workshop

Through this workshop I was able to create a sense of empathy and awareness within the group. I observed a certain sense of curiosity in participants with normal vision towards the choices and questions from the colorblind. All the participants felt equally comfortable presenting their ideas, however during the selection and coloring process both colorblind and normal vision people were hesitant and confused during some activities that will be highlighted below. Now I will share my observations about each activity separately so the difference is clear.

Survey

The data and statistics collected in this survey were quite insightful and shed light on the practice of mostly young and upcoming designers. The sample size of 54 participants was not the biggest, but having a variety of ethnic groups respond also suggested towards more or less a global trend. The gathered knowledge was effective, time effiecient recieved in an anonymously and helped me shape the outcome of the project in a more efficient manner. It made me realize that inclusivity in design can only be achieved by catering to the problem more holistically, meaning for both colorblind and normal vision designers. Addressing to either one of the group might result in a bigger gap of awareness and collaboration.

The results clearly stated that most of the designers don’t think about color inclusivity but at the same time are open for collaboration. This creates an opportunity for a solution that can be a step towards offering potential ways to introduce accessibility in the practice of these designers. And as over 90% of designers utilize technology and design software as an essential part of their workflow (MarketSplash, 2023), the shared space for these ideas to take place must also be provided digitally.

Pain Points

A look towards the Solution

After exploring different directions for a tool, a guide, a storytelling device, a community, I narrowed down my journey towards creating a web tool that generates color palettes for designers.This is the most common function that is sought out by all types of creatives in the very beginning of their process and currently available tools are mostly generating palettes with colors that do not have enough contrast within them. This is backed up by another tool to enable designers to check the inclusivity of their designs and an integral part of the whole experience — a community to share your designs and get reviews from fellow designers.

Although I designed these experiences for different stages of design, it is obvious that the creative process for everyone is unique and the use these tools or reviews can arise at any stage, hence the flow and navigation is designed so each page has equal importance and the experience is consistent. The pages are also not full of features and follow a visual hierarchy to guide a new user through while keeping the learning curve minimal.

Context

As someone who is colorblind, I found it challenging to integrate any of these tools into my workflow. Most available content on colorblindness consists of either simulators or guides, which raise awareness or highlight generic design improvements, but miss the “Why” and “How.”

Even if designers want to follow these guidelines, there is no tool to help them seamlessly integrate this knowledge into their practice. There is a lack of tools that can evaluate whether designs are accessible or not and provide examples of successful use of inclusive palettes. Tools that do offer palette integrations often miss two crucial elements: clear communication about inclusivity (the “Why”) and the generation of aesthetically pleasing palettes that are also inclusive.

Design Methodology

Structuring this approach at the beginning of the design ideation helped me to follow a defined path. I must also mention that this path was not followed completely in a straight line and there was testing and redefining involved at many different stages of the process.

Concept

A Tandem

From my learnings through the research process I arrived at an idea of creating an outcome that is a collaboration of a tool and a community. I found that at different stages of their process all designers, specially colorblind, need reviewing regarding their color choices — while starting a project and also for a final review before delivery.

With my contribution, I wanted to tap in at different stages of design process to create a holistic solution, that also supports other counterparts within the design system. The end product is a combination of two tools and a community. Where the tools serve to the need of the colorblind and normal designer, both can use it for saving time and feeling more confident and the community becomes a bridge to connect the two sides to interact and comment of each others work.

This all happens while subtly creating awareness about the importance and benefits of inclusive design through the communication pieces on the page that presents facts and asks questions that creates a hook for the designers while providing an opportunity to reflect on their own practice.

The tools uses latest AI technology and Web Design Accessibility Guidelines to help designers not only making beautiful color choices but making their choices inclusive! We live in a world that is changing rapidly and technology is progressing at a much faster pace. It is our responsibility as designers to integrate and embrace this change in our workflows, utilize it as a tool and not shy away from it! I want to ensure that my small contribution to this topic has the means to reach every corner of the present world and even transcend to the future generations, hence becoming truly inclusive.

Look & Feel

Hand-drawn designs evoke a sense of warmth and nostalgia that is hard to achieve with digital precision. The tactile nature of these creations taps into emotional memories, making them feel more personal and relatable. This connection is often missed in the clean, sterile outputs of digital tools.

In a world where digital perfection is common place, the imperfections in hand-drawn work offer a refreshing honesty. These imperfections highlight the human effort and creativity behind the design, contrasting sharply with the often impersonal nature of machine-generated work (Petzold, n.d.)

I found the above stated thoughts resonating with my own. I find great pleasure drawing something with my hands, it activates the flow of creativity and makes the translation of ideas into something meaningful with a fun process. Although the process was full of intense back-and-forth with sketching and uploading while experimenting with different styles, I enjoyd this part a lot!

Prototype Testing

Refining Ideas

I sketched several ideas initially and landed on the exhibited ideas for the proposed outcome. With these ideas transferred on paper in a legible and slightly detailed manner, I went ahead and started testing it with different user types including colorblind designers, normal vision designers and other creative professionals to get a holistic review. I asked them questions focused on their experience through the design and about potential improvements. I also made sure to ask every user about the relevance of the solution and whether they would like to integrate a tool like this in their workflow.

Collecting Review

Getting reviews on my work is an important step. It provides fresh perspectives and constructive feedback that I can’t achieve alone. Having someone try out my designs for the first time helps me see them in a new light and improve them effectively. I find it important to stay open to criticism and accept valid comments while enjoying someones journey through the design.

In the available time, I manged to get several informal feedback sessions with my fellow designer and even non-designer friends. I will only exhibit 4 of such sessions and learnings from them next to the prototype screens on the following pages.

Final Outcome

Branding

Reflections

Past few months have been the most important part of my journey as a designer. My learning curve saw a steep rise, I truly understood the value of research and feedback in making of a meaningful design project. I was able to maintain a good balance between my work and personal life during this period, what was crucial to achieve that was dedicating consistent chunks of time on the project throughout the whole timeline. This skill was a hard one to learn, personally for me. Another very important learning from this experience has been the ability to listen to others, being open to criticism and utilizing discussions with other designers constructively.

The project is coming to an end and honestly I feel emotional writing these reflections, partially because I still can’t believe its going to be over soon. Its time for me to look back and reflect on some major hits, misses and learnings.

What worked well?

Having a personal connection with the subject really kept me motivated. Throughout the journey, my ambition to tackle the degrading situation of inclusivity in digital design and address the struggles many designers face with color choices was validated on several occasions.

I was able to reach a conclusive design idea to improve the situation while writing and creating this book as an extension of that idea. The book provides scientific evidence, explores inclusive design methods, and shares designers’ experiences. I am convinced this project can help creatives not only make their designs more inclusive but also more efficient overall. Additionally, the book raises awareness about the topic while offering a friendly reading experience.

What could be different?

The 18-week timeframe for the entire project posed a major challenge. Even with efficient management and consistent work, I felt some parts of the process could have used more time. For instance, I would have liked to dedicate more time to refining the design and figuring out the back-end engineering. Further testing of the engineered product with more users would greatly benefit the project.

I also would have liked to conduct one-on-one interviews with designers with normal vision to also learn about their color choices and struggles in more depth. I only discovered the potential for this later in the process while conducting workshops and prototype testing.