Blogging WC 2006--visual communication

Last night at the Argentina v. Ivory Coast match we couldn't miss the importance of color in communication. From the color-coded schedules to the blue and white of Argentina and the orange and green of the Ivory Coast supporters, color was critical to communication. For example, our seats were in the yellow section of the stadium, so using that information we figured out which entrance to use at the Hamburg Volkspark Stadium. Even the fourth official, who is responsible for the substitutes, had a color-coded sign. The number in red was the player coming off the field and the number in green was the player going in to the game. What I have noticed is that color helps communicate information quickly. Instead of trying to interpret written language, color can quickly give us information. An example that we all know is traffic lights: amber for caution, red for stop, and green for go.

What have you noticed about color uses in technical communication?