Contrast

Contrast is the difference in luminance or colour that makes an object (or its representation in an image or display) distinguishable. In visual perception of the real world, contrast is determined by the difference in the colour and brightness of the object and other objects within the same field of view. The human visual system is more sensitive to contrast than absolute luminance; we can perceive the world similarly regardless of the huge changes in illumination over the day or from place to place. The maximum contrast of an image is the contrast ratio or dynamic range.

In this example, you see the background has a subtle yet powerful image. However, the foreground or informational panels almost jump off the page and catch your attention. Things to Consider: • Group things that are the same together • Make things that are different stand out • Don’t be “slightly different” (choose same or very different) • Strong contrast helps visually separate content • Good contrast makes a design more visually appealing • Contrast is great for “calls to action” and “next steps” • You can contrast things like font size, colour and shape on the same page. [link an example of size, colour, shape]