ID [PNW]

2. Color as user interface Color can give cues as to how to operate a machine or an appliance. Even without understanding of the function of a form, a contrasting colored feature indicates how and what to do. A green button usually indicates “go” or “start,” a red button may indicate, “stop” or on a trigger may mean, “fire.” Our traffic lights use green, yellow and red to direct drivers with its color cues. The white stripes of a crosswalk on the street direct the pedestrians where to safely cross and warn drivers. The controls of an X-Box game controller are colored differently. Gray is used for the controls that are ordinary and commonly used and colors are used for the special functions. With a series of controls, only the most important and critical ones are usually colored. This application should be used carefully and with consideration. Liberal use of color on many buttons or controls dilutes the power and influence of the colors. Contrasting colors ...

Encouraging the meaningful use of color in industrial design (part 1. The following discussion on paper was presented and published for the IDSA National Conference 2006 in Austin, TX. I thought that I'd post it here for more to read. Please feel free to add comments and contribute to the discussion) Color may be the most influential factor in the decision to buy, or not to buy. In Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, he suggests that when presented with a choice, the subconscious mind makes a decision within just a few seconds. Even before one rationalizes and investigates the choices, through rapid cognition the mind has already been made up. In relation to industrial design, that critical decision is the purchasing decision. Within those first few seconds the majority of the information that is available is visual information and one of the most dominant aspects of that visual information is color. So, considering this, the application o...

Here's a short video showing the process of designing some flatware. Done by the ID class of 05 at Western.