Color coding in tables: the psychology argument vs. the readability reality

Green for "yes", red for "no", a gold row for the top pick. It looks decisive. It also fails a surprising number of visitors.

The readability side:
— around one in twelve men has some form of color vision deficiency. Red and green side by side is the worst possible pair for them;
— on low-brightness phone screens, subtle tints disappear entirely;
— too many colors flatten the hierarchy: when everything is highlighted, nothing is.

The psychology side, which is real:
— a single accent color on the recommended row does raise attention;
— muted rows below it read as "considered but not chosen", which builds trust.

A balanced approach:
— pair every color with a symbol or text (a check mark plus "Yes", not just a green cell);
— use one accent color, and reserve it for one row;
— keep the base table neutral and let the content carry the comparison.

Color should confirm what the text says, never replace it.