28
My team's new dashboard launch turned into a mess because of red/green status lights.
We rolled out the update on Tuesday, and by Wednesday afternoon, three different people said they couldn't tell if a system was 'live' or 'down'. The icons were just a circle, green for good and red for bad, with no other difference. Should we always add a symbol like a check or an X, or is changing the actual shape of the indicator more important?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
the_ben1mo ago
I read that 8% of men have red-green color blindness.
5
the_piper19d ago
Agree with @thompson.xena about shape being key. Color is a helpful layer, but it should never be the only signal. Good design works for the whole audience.
4
thompson.xena1mo ago
Color blindness is a common issue, but the real problem is relying only on color for meaning. Changing the shape of the indicator is far more important than adding a small symbol. A square for good and a triangle for bad creates instant recognition without needing to see color at all. This approach makes the dashboard clear for everyone.
2