The influence of color grouping on users' visual search behavior and preferences

Abstract The article investigates how the various colors and color pairs used as grouping factors affect the visual search process and direct manipulation activities in the context of toolbar-like graphical panels. Red, green, and blue colors having the same perceptual distance in the CIELab space are used. The results demonstrate significant influence of the examined color-related factors on the speed and accuracy. The color preattentive property depends strongly on the grouping pattern: layouts with smaller colored areas were operated worse than panels divided into larger parts. Meaningful differences were also observed between panels with single and two colored backgrounds. Preferences were examined by pairwise comparisons before and after performing the ‘search and select’ tasks. Subjective judgments were significantly differentiated by the toolbar background color pattern both prior to the performance tasks and after them. The initial relative weights structure changed decidedly after the performance experience being more consistent with the ‘search and select’ results. The location factor was irrelevant for the speed and accuracy as well as for preferences. Objective and subjective findings are compared and discussed. Linear regression models showing the preference structure change and the relationship between mean acquisition times and mean preference weights are developed and discussed.