Color and Depth

Clip art was created by Improulx and modified with permission.

This week's focus was color, and how it can be used to facilitate learning. I found it interesting that, scientifically-speaking, "the effect of color on learning is slight" (Lohr, 2008, p. 265). However, learners prefer color materials, and it can help them locate information quickly (Lohr, 2008, p. 266). Given these justifications for use of color, I tried to create a graphic that is usable, efficient, and appealing (Lohr, 2008, p. 266).

As part of my larger project in this class (a web tutorial on Spanish prepositions), the student task associated with this graphic is to describe relative location of objects. Specifically, I plan to have students practice the following prepositions with this image: in front of, behind, next to, to the left/right of, between, and near. By providing labeled nouns for beginning Spanish students, this graphic, like my others, will support learners and reduce cognitive load.

In this graphic, I used color in the following ways:

• Labeling: "The first function of color is to label or differentiate information" (Lohr, 2008, p. 265). The colored name-tags stand out against the various values of gray, calling attention to the students' names and aiding learner selection (figure/ground).
• Creating aesthetic appeal: "People tend to prefer color to black and white" (Lohr, 2008, p. 265).
• Warm and cool colors: "Warm colors tend to advance while cool colors tend to recede" (Lohr, 2008, p. 267). To help create a feeling of depth, I chose warm colors for the labels at the front of the room and cool colors for the students at the back of the room.
• Black, white, and gray: These "can be used effectively to facilitate selection" (Lohr, 2008, p. 267). I used a variety of gray values to suggest different colors, highlights, and shadows, without overwhelming the importance of the name-tags.

I had my husband review this graphic, and he had a lot of positive feedback. In addition to guessing how I was going to have students use the visual (he is also a Spanish teacher), he had some good ideas for extension activities that I hadn't yet considered. He pointed out that because my other two graphics were of zoo animals and fruit (things, not people), this new graphic allows for interrogative phrases like "who...?" and "what's the name of...?". He complimented the fact that such a seemingly simple graphic actually has a lot of details for description, should teachers/students want to head that direction. Based on this user-test, I don't have any plans for revision.

Speaking of "revision", though, I did go back and revise a project from a couple of weeks ago. The colors in my fruit stand graphic have been bothering me, but until this week I didn't really know how to fix the problem. I just knew that the colors seemed gaudy and out of place when compared to the other graphics I'd done, and I really wanted to present a more cohesive look on my website. (Yes, I probably have seen too many "Project Runway" episodes... but I could hear Tim Gunn's worried voice...) After learning a lot this week about color (and Adobe Fireworks), I went back to my original graphic and removed all the color and then painstakingly added back in better fruit colors. I also made a few other changes (dimensions, font, etc.). I'm really proud of the results, and so much happier with it. (Plus, I got to dust off the neglected Bamboo pad that my husband bought me years ago as a gift...)

Here's the before and after:

before...

...after!

Lohr, L.L. (2008). Creating graphics for learning and performance: Lessons in visual literacy (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.