Product Managing/Designing as a Color Blind Person

If the title struck you with fear (and maybe a little chuckle), you are not alone. A well designed user interface and user experience utilizes colors to drive the eye where we need it to go to help users intuitively navigate to find the value they are seeking from the interaction. Designing and shipping impactful products to innovate and challenge the current paradigm is not an exact science and is wrought with peril as the promise of additional budget for a major pivot may not exist. Confidence is key in product designing.

So, how do I achieve the confidence level necessary to drive change at the rate required while contending with a challenge such as being colorblind?

The first step to overcoming my hurdle for me is to acknowledge and be mindful of my own biases' towards color selection and use. I approach color choices with open communication and humility, collaborating with team members and utilizing acknowledged best practices for color selection and placement. While it is a constant battle to maintain mindfulness of the importance of color due to it's lack of general helpfulness in my life, I find the challenge to utilize color as well as possible in design to grow my own appreciation and experiment as to how it affects my own experiences with my own products and those found in the wild.