Design an accessible legend for a colour status light

Status Light is a desk unit whose lenses are arranged vertically: red above amber, with green below. Its physical arrangement gives you more to work with than colour names alone, but the signal still needs a clear legend. Plan an alternative way to read the state so users do not have to distinguish colours to understand what needs attention.

What should the legend say?

Use short descriptions of the action or evidence represented, such as check the failed task or work remains active. Pair each description with the lens position as well as its colour. Avoid vague labels such as good and bad when the signal actually refers to a specific job or queue.

Keep the meaning consistent across the software sources sharing the display. If one workflow uses green for successful completion and another uses it for merely finished, the legend cannot resolve the contradiction. Align the state rules first, then write the explanation.

What alternative should accompany the light?

Provide a readable text status in the application or a nearby companion view. Include the selected task and a way to open its source record when practical. This also helps when the device is outside someone's line of sight or when ambient light makes a lens hard to judge.

Do not assume that position alone meets every user's needs. Consider the actual person, viewing arrangement and assistive technology involved. A physical light can be a supplementary cue while the text interface carries the authoritative explanation and freshness information.

How should the physical placement be checked?

Inspect the signal from the ordinary working position and under typical room lighting. Check whether another object obscures a lens or whether reflections make the active state ambiguous. Keep the label legible without requiring an awkward reach or a close inspection during normal work.

Avoid adding improvised flashing patterns as a universal accessibility solution. Confirm any hardware capability before using it, and consider whether movement or repeated visual effects would be distracting. A steady cue with a clear text alternative may suit the workflow better.

How can you evaluate the convention?

Ask someone unfamiliar with the mapping to explain what each state asks them to do using the legend and companion text. Include idle, stale information and disconnected conditions so uncertainty is not mistaken for success. Test the text route when the physical light cannot be seen.

Revise ambiguous wording and keep the legend updated whenever the integration changes. The Status Light product information describes the physical arrangement; accessible use depends on clear redundant cues and the needs of the people reading the signal, not on colour alone.