The project team (TBD) will be continuing work started during the Background Color for HMI and Background Color for HMI II projects. They will be working to determine the best graphics background/foreground color combination for varying situations.
Displaying information effectively to operators is important for smooth stable operations, optimal situational awareness, managing and avoiding abnormal conditions, and increasing product quality and productivity. Selecting the proper background color and color contrast of foreground objects on displays is important for presenting information to operators in an effective manner. This project will help to determine what those colors should be for varying conditions.
• Phase II will focus specifically on determining the relative suitability of popular background colors with optimal set of foreground colors under a greater variety of lighting conditions. In other words, test operators for response time using independent foreground colors for each commonly used background color under a variety of lighting condition.
• Is there one background/foreground color set that is better under all tested lighting conditions?
• What is the relative performance difference between background/foreground color sets? In other words, for example, is operator response time 25% faster for one particular set over the others?
Several important questions regarding background color and viewing conditions are not adequately answered in the research literature (basic or applied), and on these questions, potentially deleterious design decisions are often made. For example, a naïve assumption is often made that a medium gray background is universally optimal for color appearance. This may not be the case in difficult viewing conditions such as high glare displays or environments because gray does not provide maximal contrast.
• Develop high contrast foreground color palettes for each of the four background colors. The foreground colors palettes are to be reviewed by COP for approval prior to beginning the experimental testing
• Test subjects response time under several ambient lighting conditions
• A written report that summarizes the findings and provides guidance to users on how to apply the results to real-world operator environments.