OUGD504 - Studio Brief 02 - Initial Design Developments: Colour

In order to make the interface more user friendly, it was decided to experiment with the use of colour. One idea was to use light blue tones. The colour blue is known for producing a calming effect and as a symbol of intelligence, which could potentially help to put users at ease if they are stuck in a particular situation. Also being a symbol of intelligence, this can reflect the systems knowledge and the knowledge of the user knowing they will be able to get to where they need to be easily and safely.

In addition to helping to communicate a more comfortable experience for users, the use of blue and yellow together produces a slight effect known as the contrast of complements, initially identified by Johannes Itten. This is produced when colours opposite each other on the colour wheel are used together. Since yellow and blue are close opposites, this effect causes a slight contrast between the two colours which results in them enhancing their vibrancy. However, dependent on saturation of these colours, the effect could potentially cause discomfort in viewing for some users which could effect the accurate communication of information on screen.

Another colour experimentation was with the use of green tones. This colour is known for producing meanings of safety, potentially an unconscious association with the function and meaning of traffic lights in their use of colour. These meanings can be transferred into it's use here in that the users would potentially feel safe using the interface in order to safely get to where they need to be. The colour isn't too bright either, meaning the user does not have to strain their eyes to focus on information and therefore does not affect the accurate communication of such information which is paramount for users to be able to book their journeys correctly.

The final colour development was with use of yellow tones, which is known for symbolising positivity and, like the other colour developments, communicates a friendlier nature that would potentially enhance the experience for users. The use of this colour in the design of this interface would also enhance consistency throughout the design, since this is the same colour used for the live time feed. It's use in this design, whilst ensuring consistency, means that there are no major colour clashes between this element and the others which allows for more accurate communication of information. In addition, this colour was chosen in order to reflect the typically associated colour of taxis particularly found in the United States, therefore representing the nature and purpose of this interface.

One potential problem with this use of colour, however, is that the colour could be seen as almost too bright making it uncomfortable for the user to look at for a prolonged period of time. This colour being the same as that used for time information and a similar shade to that of the taxi logo, these colours can also be considered to merge together slightly making it harder for the eye to read without getting distracted by the larger blocks of colour, as well as making it harder for certain elements to be easily distinguishable from others, such as the logo from the background.