DON’T LET COLOR CONTRAST
SiNK YOUR WEBSiTE DESiGN!
By Rani Sullivan
Don’t let color contrast be your website’s kryptonite! Making sure you follow accessibility guidelines and use the right tools to check your color choices can help you avoid this common pitfall.
Alright, let’s talk about something that might be flying under your radar when designing your website: color contrast.
It might not sound like the sexiest topic, but trust me, getting it right is crucial. Bad color contrast can mess with your site’s usability and accessibility, especially for people with visual impairments.
Here’s the kicker: tons of companies fall into the trap of prioritizing their brand colors over making sure text and icons are easy to see. They assume that just because colors look good together, they’re automatically readable. But that’s not always true! According to the 2024 WebAIM Million annual report, a whopping 80% of homepages have color contrast issues. That means a lot of websites are making it hard for people to read text or even spot icons just because of poor color choices.
Why Color Contrast is a Big Deal
Color contrast isn’t just a fancy design detail—it’s a must-have for accessibility. When there’s high contrast between text and background, it means everyone, including those with color blindness or low vision, can actually read your content. Without good contrast, text can get swallowed up by the background, making it hard to read or even completely invisible to some users.
Here’s How to Nail the Perfect Color Contrast:
01
Stick to Accessibility Guidelines
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are your new best friend. They suggest a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for regular text and 3:1 for larger text. These guidelines help make sure your site’s content is legible for everyone, no matter their visual abilities.
02
Use Contrast Checking Tools
Don’t guess—test! There are awesome online tools like WebAIM’s Contrast Checker and the Color Contrast Analyzer that can help you figure out if your color choices hit the mark. They’ll give you feedback and help you make any needed adjustments to meet accessibility standards.
03
Think About Color Blindness
It’s not just about picking colors that look good to you. Use tools or simulators to see how your color scheme appears to people with different types of color vision deficiencies. This helps ensure your design is inclusive and accessible to a wider audience.
04
Offer Alternatives
Color alone shouldn’t be the only way you communicate important information. Use text labels, patterns, or other visual cues so everyone can understand what you’re trying to convey.
Don’t let color contrast be your website’s kryptonite! Making sure you follow accessibility guidelines and use the right tools to check your color choices can help you avoid this common pitfall. Good design is about more than just looking great—it’s about being usable and inclusive. So go ahead and make your website stand out for all the right reasons, with a design that’s both eye-catching and accessible! Of course, we are here to help.
Give it a try, what have you got to lose? And let me know how it goes.
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