[IxDA Discuss] Amber and Yellow color perception

[pauric]

We separate colour and specific meaning.  That is, people normally associate
green with all is good.  We use green in different contexts for successful
boot-up, max speed and good connection.  We use yellow for partial fault,
limited connection.  We use red for critical faults.

These associations are separate from any labels that can be applied to the
LED. When I need to display a large amount of information through LEDs I
employ a Mode button.  The trick is that through pressing the mode button
the user can use common associations across different contexts, thus
reducing the load on the user. Here's a mechanical drawing of a section of
one of our overlays.  The LEDs convey speed, type of connection and power
over ethernet, across 52 ports.

<http://web.mac.com/pauric_ocallaghan/overlay_cad.jpg>
and in practice
<http://web.mac.com/pauric_ocallaghan/2ustackLED.png>

Apologies for the small images, dont have anything larger to hand right now
but I hope this demonstrates you don't necessarily need to rely on specific
colour = specific meaning.

Alternatively, simply use LEDs to illuminate the label, whatever that may be
<
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.comtecs.co.uk/images/on.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.comtecs.co.uk/technology.xhtml&h=171&w=171&sz=38&hl=en&sig2=RCcbwdg219dZOAGwbXfMwg&start=8&tbnid=gXOl3IK3G_u-4M:&tbnh=100&tbnw=100&ei=2j_HRZCJMZCsiwGT0ciZDg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpower%2Bbutton%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DG
>

On 2/4/07, Jim Drew <cfmdesigns at earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>
> On Feb 3, 2007, at 8:18 PM, pauric wrote:
>
> > "Jim's suggestions about different behaviors for the colors makes the
> > distinction even more pronounced."
> >
> > Flashing an LED actually makes it less pronounced. Less time for
> > the eye to
> > perceive subtle difference in colours.  That is, flashing an LED
> > will make
> > it harder to determine whether is it yellow or amber compared with
> > having it
> > on all the time.
>
> Yes, I would agree with that.  I was thinking about it in terms of
> other ways of differentiating it, though: the user doesn't have to
> tell the difference between yellow and amber if all he has to do is
> tell the difference between yelllow-ish flashing and yellow-ish solid.
>
> -- Jim
>
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-- 
Job type: In house
Field: Embedded & physical interfaces. Web/cli