All The Wrong Colors

You can use this to your advantage if you really want a client to pick a particular version, colorizing only that sketch (and showing a few color options), which lets them clearly know it’s your favorite.

Color choice, too, should follow convention.6 Contrasting data? Contrasting colors. Complementary data? Complementary colors. Groups of data? Same or similar colors. Data ranges? “Empty” colors (low saturation, paler, whiter) for lower values and “full” colors (higher saturation, richer, darker) for higher values.

They should be referred to in everyday conversations, included in presentations and design critiques, displayed where they can be seen. And to be in use, they must be genuinely useful, possessing the qualities above.

I typically design my visuals in shades of grey and pick a single bold color to draw attention where I want it. My base color is grey, not black, to allow for greater contrast since color stands out more against grey than black.

The best way to disorient your readers is to fill your graphic with objects colored in pure accent tones.