As a data analyst, red and green feel like the obvious choice. Green means “good.” Red means “bad.” Simple, right?
Not always.
As I started leaning more into UI/UX principles, I realized that this default color pairing can actually work against good data communication, especially when accessibility is considered.
The Red–Green Problem
Red-green color blindness is the most common form of color vision deficiency. When these colors are used together in charts, KPIs, or heatmaps, a portion of users may struggle (or completely fail) to distinguish between them. What is green or red to indicate good or bad, to some it might not mean anything.
That’s a big problem when dashboards are meant to drive decisions.
Color Should Reinforce Meaning
I’ve learned to treat color as supporting context, not the primary carrier of meaning.
If someone needs color alone to understand a chart, the design probably needs work.
Instead of relying on red and green, I now:
- Use blue/orange or purple/yellow for comparisons
- Pair color with labels, icons ▲▼, or position
- Reserve strong colors for moments that truly need attention
In Tableau, it’s easy to apply bold diverging palettes, but keeping restraint on this can often leads to clearer insights.
Tools That Help Me Choose Better Colors
One tool I consistently like using is rgblind. It lets me generate palettes, simulate different types of color blindness, and check contrast, all in one place. It’s especially helpful when I want to move away from red and green without guessing whether the alternative actually works.
I’ve also recently come across forEveryone.design. I haven’t fully explored all of their color tools yet, but the site has a great curated list of modern resources focused on accessibility. I’m looking forward to digging into more of them and sharing my favorites soon!
Accessibility Makes Dashboards Better for Everyone
Designing beyond red and green doesn’t just help color-blind users. It improves readability, reduces cognitive load, and makes insights easier to spot at a glance.
When I revisit older dashboards, the ones that hold up best are the ones where color was intentional, limited, and purposeful.
Red and green aren’t “bad” colors, but defaulting to them without thinking about accessibility is. As data analysts, we owe it to our users to make insights visible, clear, and inclusive.
Sometimes, better dashboards start by removing a color, not adding one.