Learning to See Color Differently: How Small Changes Made My Design Stronger

After spending more time learning about UI/UX, I started noticing design in a way I never had before. What used to feel like just moving things around until they looked "right" now felt like something deeper. Something I wanted to understand. One of the first things that really made me rethink my approach was color.

Before, I chose colors based on what I liked. I leaned toward a white background with bright pops of color, thinking it gave my mental health app a clean, minimal feel. But the more I learned, the more I started questioning that choice. Color wasn’t just about what looked good to me—it played a role in how people interacted with a design, how they felt using it, and even how easy it was to navigate.

Noticing How Color Communicates

I started paying closer attention to how different apps used color. Emergency alerts were almost always red. Financial apps seemed to rely on blues. Some apps felt welcoming, while others felt overwhelming—and I wondered why.

I started reading about color psychology and usability, and it made me think about my own design. Was my approach actually working for users, or was I just picking colors based on personal preference? For example:
I had never really considered how red immediately signals urgency—like a stop sign or the red "X" on a wrong test answer. Or how blue is everywhere in healthcare and tech, maybe because it feels calm and trustworthy. Green reminded me of success, like a green light telling you to go or a checkmark when you get something right. And yellow? It definitely grabs attention, like caution tape. However, I noticed it can be tricky for readability if it’s too bright.

Rethinking My Color Choices

I went back to my project with fresh eyes. I played around with different color combinations and started testing for things I hadn’t thought about before—like contrast and readability. One thing I noticed right away? Light colored text on a white background looked nice to me, but it was really hard to read.

I found a contrast checker online and ran my design through it. Turns out, that light gray text didn’t meet accessibility standards. I adjusted the colors to make sure there was enough contrast, and suddenly, the text wasn’t just easier to read, but it felt more solid and intentional. This small change made a big difference. It didn’t just look better… it felt better.

Thinking About Accessibility

In my last post, I talked about wanting to design with accessibility in mind, but this was the first time I really thought about what that meant in practice. What if someone was colorblind? What if they were using my app in bright sunlight where colors get washed out?

I made a few small but meaningful changes:

• I added text labels along with color cues. Instead of relying on a red outline for an error field, I included an error message.

• I tested my designs in grayscale to see if they still made sense without color. (Side note: This was actually really fun and will become common practice for me)

Color, which I had originally thought of as just a way to make things look good, started feeling like something more. Something that could make my design clearer, more inclusive, and easier to use.

I’m still figuring all of this out, but this experience made me want to approach design with more curiosity. Instead of just going with what feels right, I want to keep asking questions, testing things, and learning. And maybe that’s what UI/UX is really about, constantly discovering new ways to make things better for the people using them.