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Fixing a Color System That Only Signals State Through Hue
A fintech app's transaction list uses color as follows: completed transactions have a light green row background, pending transactions have a light yellow row background, and failed transactions have a light red row background — no icons, no text labels, no other visual difference between the three states. A support ticket comes in from a user who says they "can't tell which transactions failed" and describes difficulty distinguishing red and green in general.
- Diagnose exactly what's wrong with this design, in terms of the color-as-signal principle from this subject.
- Propose a fix that keeps the color coding (useful for most users) but resolves the reported problem. Be specific about what you'd add to each of the three states.
- Beyond this specific list, what does this bug suggest about how the product's broader color system should be structured going forward, and why?
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