Information accessibility challenges can pop up in unexpected places.
Recently I was talking to someone involved with an amateur dramatic society. Billboards were designed for the latest production. The billboards, complete with fancy font for branding, were displayed in and around the small country town where my friend lives. On the computer screen they looked great. But he discovered to his annoyance that when driving past them at the open road speed they were unreadable. Some retrofitting was needed. A steady handed volunteer was recruited to outline the lettering in black to increase visibility.
Before: digital image
After: modified billboard
My friend reflected ruefully on the problem. He decided that in future he would stick to plainer fonts, never mind the branding. He also decided to do what he perhaps ought to have done at the beginning of the process. He tested the contrast on the electronic version of the billboards with a colour contrast analyser. It failed.
Lessons learned.
The principles of universal design and accessibility are indeed universal. Everyone, not just disabled people, will benefit from their application.
Think about what your audience needs before worrying about the branding.
Things that look great on your computer screen might not look good anywhere else.
Colour contrast really does count!
