Colour for the colourblind – The ColourAdd system
Posted February 7th, 2010.
It’s amazing the things that people are able to overcome. With colour being used for communication so much in day to day life, let alone if your a graphic designer, I can only imagine some of the difficulties one might face.
With the Colour Add system, recognizing and even utilizing colour is now possible.
The system proposed is based on the search of the color, not the light color RGB Ð (R, red; G, green and B, blue), because the colorblind person does not possess the correct vision of the colors, nor a tangible knowledge of how their addition works.
The system proposed is based on the pigment color, using as basis the primary colors: BLUE (cyan), RED (magenta), YELLOW.
In addition to primary and secondary colours, symbols for white and black allow users to expand their colour range into the dozens, as well as using shades of grey and specialty symbols for gold and silver.
Very intuitive.
I posted some an article some time ago on Logo designs not for the colour blind, looks like they can use colour after all.
Do you know how far along this system is? How widely accepted it is? What the future plans are?
My husband is significantly (almost entirely) colorblind…. This fascinates me. Thank you for sharing!
Alicia,
The system itself is finished according the site. There is information in their news section of the beginning of its implementation in Europe around June 2009.
It’s been presented in Australia in September, nothing I could see regarding England at this stage I’m afraid.
Hello,
I am the author of this project and now I can say that the ColorADD® system started (March 2010) to be used by Portuguese companies with an international dimension.
It was first necessary to secure the acceptance and recognition of this system throughout the world community. 2009 was the year of raising awareness of the ColorADD®system. It is now ready to be adopted.
I am very interested in making contact with international companies and organizations interested in implementing the system in their products, where color is a factor of identification, guidance and choice.
It is undoubtedly a tool of inclusion and a strong argument for social responsibility and sustainability.
my contact details are coloradd@gmail.com, info@coloradd.com or Facebook
Best regards,
Miguel.
Thanks for the contact details Miguel, hopefully Alicia can get in touch with you regarding her enquiries.
Are you yourself colorblind Andrew? I’m colorblind, but I want to go to school for graphic design. I’m afraid that I won’t be able to do it :S What are your thoughts?
Gabriel,
I’m not colour blind, so I don’t have any first hand advice for you I’m afraid.
I can only imagine it would present challenges depending on exactly what area of graphic design your interest in.
Having said though this might be your golden opportunity, you could be a graphic designer specialising in design for the colour blind? I don’t imagine there’s a lot of competition in that niche?
I’d certainly never try and talk someone out of something there interested in, especially something I’ve enjoyed so much, like graphic design.
If your interested in it, I’d definitely look further into it. Maybe approach what you’re local educational institutes and see what they say? I hope that’s of some help?
I’d be very interested to know how you go with it…