Designed Choices: An In-depth Exploration of Color Use in NCEP Graphics

Color is one of the most prominent aspects of data visualization, and what colors are selected to represent data can have implications on graphics’ readability and interpretability, ultimately influencing effective communication strategies using graphics. Color has been studied in the weather context for risk and probability maps experimentally, but a comprehensive effort to review how NWS products and visualizations use color has not been done. This study gathered information through semi-structured interviews about how administrative personnel across NCEP centers think about colors when they are making forecast and hazard graphics. We asked participants about the overall purpose or goal of each graphic, the communication intentions of the graphics, and their perceptions of the design, and other related design questions, such as how colors schemes, graphic interactivity, or level of detail were chosen. Initial results of the interviews will be presented, as well as general recommendations for using color in forecast graphics.