Make color carry meaning accessibly

The move: use color as a cue, not the whole message. Color is powerful because it attracts attention quickly. It is also unreliable as a sole carrier of meaning. Accessibility standards focus on contrast because viewers need enough difference between foreground and background to read. They also require that important distinctions not depend only on color. A practical color system separates three roles: brand color for identity, semantic color for status or meaning, and hierarchy color for emphasis. Problems start when one color tries to do all three jobs. A bright brand color used for every heading, button, warning, and…

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