People see color with significant variations. In Japan, there are more than 5 million people in total who see color differently from ordinary people, due to their genetic types or eye diseases. Color Universal Design is a user-oriented design system, which has been developed in consideration of people with various types of color vision, to allow information to be accurately conveyed to as many individuals as possible.
3 (+1) Principles
1 Choose color schemes that can be easily identified by people with all types of color vision, in consideration with the actual lighting conditions and usage environment.
2 Use not only different colors but also a combination of different shapes, positions, line types and coloring patterns, to ensure that information is conveyed to all users including those who cannot distinguish differences in color.
3 Clearly state color names where users are expected to use color names in communication.
+1 Moreover, aim for visually friendly and beautiful designs.
Who is it for?
So-called "colorblind people" (also known as Daltonian, color-weak people, or people with color-vision defects, color-vision deficiencies, or dyschromatopsia) account for the largest proportion of those who have different color vision from ordinary people. In Europe and the US, one out of every 10-12 males and 200 females is believed to be colorblind1, with a total of over 10 million in the US and around 2 million in the UK. In Japan, one out of every 20 males and 500 females is believed to be colorblind with a total of over 3 million nationwide2. And globally, more than 200 million people are believed to be colorblind, and this figure is equivalent of the number of males with type AB blood1. Colorblind people have normal eyesight (resolving power of the eye) and can also see small objects clearly. For some particular combinations of colors, however, they have different vision from the common-type vision .
(From http://www.cudo.jp/e/)
In addition, there are several tens of thousands of people who cannot distinguish any colors and can tell differences in color only by their brightness or darkness. Most of these people also have weakened eyesight.Age-related illnesses such as glaucoma and cataract can affect how we see color as our eyesight weakens. In Japan, there are over 1.4 million cataract patients in total and approximately 5.6% of the population aged 65 or older suffer from the disease. As society ages, the number of such patients tends to increase. Furthermore, diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and retinitis pigmentosa can also weaken eyesight. A total of several hundreds of thousands of people are so-called "people with low vision3, with corrected vision of 0.05 or more and below 0.3 in both eyes, who require consideration for not only their weakened eyesight but also simulated views and degrees of contrast.
Color Universal Design is focused on ease of use from the user's perspective, rather than only relying on the designer's aesthetic sense and sensitivity. This will result in "well organized easy-to-see designs" for people with the common-type color vision as well. Therefore, Color Universal Design is valuable not only to the colorblind but also to everyone.
Phase III of the Disability Discrimination Act in the UK, started from 2004, explicitly call for the consideration to people with disabilities including the colorblind among others.
Color Universal Design is a creative process consisting not only of adjusting colors, but also of working out how to use different shapes, line types and coloring patterns and creating designs in a comprehensive manner by using characters and color names without spoiling the beauty of the designs. Neither the beautiful balance of color nor easy-to-see designs can be achieved if the designer simply chooses a confusing color on the computer and simply replace it with a different color.
