Contrast Rule: Make Things Different
Whenever you place two or more visual elements in a page that are not intended to be exactly the same, it’s important that you make each element clearly and distinctly different. Whether you are using two or more colors, two or more fonts, two or more sizes, two or more shapes, or two or more of anything else, if you intend for the elements to be perceived as different, they should be designed VERY different. This is the first and most important rule about contrast: when you intend to differentiate between two or more things, make them obviously different from each other. The second rule? Don’t be afraid to get creative. Be brave. Be bold. Be bodacious!
Differentiation is Key to Clarity and Usability
Our brain has all kinds of ways to distinguish one thing from another—colors, sizes, shapes, positions, weights, and so forth. Designing for this instinctive human quality can make your information clearer and easier for others to follow and separate what’s important from what’s less so. For example, if you write an email with an incredibly important deadline in it, it’s critical that you distinguish the time and date from the rest of the information. You might make it bold and red, for example, separating it from the rest of the thinner, black text. Differentiate information with contrast techniques outlined in the rules in this chapter to build clarity and enhance usability.
Similarity Can Create Confusion
Because our brains want to differentiate information, if you create two visual elements that are only slightly different, your readers’ brains will wonder why they are different. Our brains naturally and automatically work to categorize and compartmentalize information, so when one piece of information is designed to look different than another piece of information, it’s even easier for our brains to process—because the categorization and compartmentalization has been done for us. If two pieces of information look similar, though—meaning they are different, but only slightly—our brains get confused and subconsciously ask, “are those two different types of information, or are they the same?” Designing distinct elements too similarly may cause more confusion than clarity.
Similarity Can Look Like a Mistake
Because the way you communicate professionally can impact your credibility, avoiding mistakes is usually a good thing (you’ve probably heard the horror stories about how some employers will throw away résumés after seeing just one tiny punctuation error, for example). When designing information, it can look like a mistake if two things are designed too similarly. If, for instance, you decide to use Times New Roman for your body text, but you use Palatino Linotype for your headings (these are two very similar serif fonts), readers will wonder if that was intentional. Even if it was, it will look like a mistake. The same might be said if you were using a 12-point font in one part of your document and an 11-point font in another. If they look too similar but they’re slightly different, it will look like you made an error, jeopardizing your professionalism and credibility. (Designer Robin Williams says that this isn’t contrast at all. It’s “conflict,” she says.)
It’s Okay to Be Bold
Sometimes it can feel awkward to create drastically different visual objects. In professional documents in particular, you may feel uncomfortable using a 92-point font, for example. But note that there are times and places appropriate in most all types of business communications for creating stark and distinct, powerful contrast. When you need something to really stand out, go for something much, much different than everything else. Follow the other rules in the remainder of this chapter to determine if you should differentiate with space, shape, color, highlighting techniques, overlays, or any other method. Just know that being audacious might be the right choice if you’re trying to draw attention.