Is there a Colour Psychologist in the House?

1. 65

   eugbugposted 6 years ago

   Usually I keep it simple and use white backgrounds for diagrams. But would pastel backgrounds be more appealing and hold a reader's attention span for longer? I notice some sites go for pale blues and the like.

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      Marketing Meritposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      I don't know about attention span, but some people with dyslexia experience visual distress, particularly with black/white combinations. Pastel colours are much better for this, although each individual will have their own personal preference. Pale peach or blue tend to be quite popular with my dyslexic learners.

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   2. 0

      RTalloniposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Not being an expert I can only share opinion with some experiment based experience. Took a look at a few of your posts and remembered that I like the white background you use as for the most part it makes the diagram stand out as unusual.
      
      That said, in reviewing several of your diagrams I noticed that the simpler they are the better they look with a white background, but the busier they are  they could be a bit confusing and a background would help them stand out from surrounding text.
      
      Some of your simpler designs have a border which works well, but not sure that would help the busier ones. As for color you might start with something in the beige range, including the peaches as mentioned by MM. Be sure and try something with a green tint to the beige. It would be interesting to see the responses if you asked people to let you know whether the colors you try come across as too muddy.

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      1. 65

         eugbugposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks for the suggestions. If I use any colours, I'll try to be consistent and keep them light (nothing gaudy!).

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2. 60

   paradigmsearchposted 6 years ago

   For the life of me, I don't know why websites insist on blasting away at people's eyes with bright white backgrounds. The destructiveness to the eyes is permanent and cumulative over the years.
   
   And for folks who use word processors 8 hours a day, change the background to light gray and then change back to white before printing. You will thank yourself in 40 years.
   
   This concludes my reality rant for the day.

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3. 76

   Patty Inglish, MSposted 6 years ago

   I worked with folks with dyslexia and other learning issues for about 15 years in private practice and government programs. We found that transparent pastel sheets of plastic that can cover up a black-print-on-white-background made it much easier for dyslexics to read. Each of the clients had their favorite colors, but light blue, green, and pink seemed the favorites overall.
   
   For people over 50 years old, we found that they usually need more contrast, so the print needs to be a little larger and darker than the background shade, whichever that is. We found that 14-point font in black worked well. Today, I just ordered a set of blue-light blocking glasses to ease mu own eye strain!
   
   Much luck with what you decide to use!

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4. 82

   Kenna McHughposted 6 years ago

   I am sure there is a study online about colors and what type of background attracts people to articles on the Internet. The content needs to be at the 6th-grade level. All the theories about attention span are based on the fact that people don't understand the words in the text.

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