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Once exclusively the preserve of I.T. engineers and programmers, dark mode (also known as ‘Dark UI’ or ‘dark theme’) is gaining a wider popularity with website visitors in recent years.
What is Dark UI ?
A user interface, such as a website, where text and other content is displayed on a black or dark background. For gaming and streaming channels such as Spotify, it’s often the favoured design option.
Does it Improve the User Experience ?
Web trends come and go. Innovations that increase engagement by improving usability and the over user experience, tend to last longer. So, does Dark UI improve the user experience ? Short answer is… it depends.
When Dark UI Works
- Evoking luxury: for image led sites with minimal text.
- To reduce eye strain: in predictably low-lit environments, a bright interface provides more eye-strain, so dark backgrounds work better.
- For example gaming, Spotify and most digital streaming services.
- Programmers often say Dark UI reduces eye strain when writing code. To work, you must draw the curtains and wear a dark hoody. Hoody not essential, but it adds to the mystique.
When Dark UI Doesn’t Work
For many sites, with the following factors, it’s best to stick with a traditional Light UI (light background), for usability reasons.
- Websites with more than a few words of text: for many, reading paragraphs of text in dark mode slows reading and strains the eyes.
- Websites with many different elements: e.g. text, images, forms, data tables, dropdowns. Dark backgrounds reduce options to vary colours to make different elements standout.
- Predictably well-lit or outdoor environments:
- In a bright office, dark mode is likely to cause eye strain.
- Try reading an ATM screen with a Dark UI, with the sun glaring. Nightmare!
Dark Mode: When it Works & Why
In design, it helps to understand why certain decisions are made. There is often a logical explanation, no more so than with Dark UI.
Visual Comfort
In low-light environments, Dark UI can be easier on the eyes, as it reduces the overall screen brightness. This can help reduce eye strain and fatigue for some users.
There is also minimal reading normally required.
Visual fatigue
This is long established. For instance, there’s a research paper supporting this back in 1988 (see link to ‘Reading from Paper versus Reading from Screen’).
This paper also cites earlier studies in 1986 from Cushman & Gould drawing the same conclusions. In 6 45-minute work periods, they compared ‘negative polarity’ (Dark UI – in this case light green text on a dark green background) vs positive polarity’ (Light UI).
There was ‘faster reading from dark characters on a light background’. Qualitative information gathered confirmed increased eye strain with negative polarity.
They were also able to rule out other factors such as screen orientation, screen flicker etc.
It’s all about light conditions
Dark mode doesn’t directly reduce eye strain. Neither does light mode.
“In a dim setting, a bright screen has your eyes working harder. On the contrary, a dark screen in a brightly lit room will have the same effect.”
Retinal specialists, Empire Retina (link below ‘How Environment impacts Eye Strain in Dark Mode’)
So, dark screens in a low-lit room. Light screens in a well-lit room. In addition, the most important factor to reduce eye strain, is to maximise colour contrast. Light UI has higher colour contrast.
The only time Dark UI would always be preferable, would be for those who are sensitive to light.
Contrast Sensitivity & Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Contrast Sensitivity focuses on the visual challenges in deciphering two colours, shades or tones. Dark UI has less contrast than Light UI. In bright environments, this adds additional eye strain.
Studies show there is a linear decline in contrast sensitivity, when comparing those aged 20-30 years and those 50-80+. See link below to ‘Effect of age on contrast sensitivity’.
Is your target audience likely to be in the older age bracket, such as business owners? If so, having a site designed using Dark UI is likely to encourage visitors to leave your site early, before getting in touch.
With You Every Moment of the Day
The goal of every social media platform is to keep you on there from the moment you awake to the moment you want to get to sleep. So, a Dark UI option is essential for getting you back for another session after receiving a new notification.
This contrasts sharply with Business to Business sites, where dark mode is less essential, as mostly they tend to be viewed during the working day.
Arielle Pardes, Wired writes,
“Twitter, for example, found that users spent more time in its app when dark mode was turned on. You’re less likely to notice that your eyeballs have dried out from staring into your screen.”
Its crucial to remember though, dark mode is best for scanning, not deep reading. Hence its success with short snippets on social media.
Further Reading
Reading from Paper versus Reading from Screen
Research study (Oct 1988) by A. Dillon, C. McKnight, J. Richardson
Read more
How Environment impacts Eye Strain in Dark Mode
Dr. Aizman – Empire Reina Consultants
Read More
Effect of Age on Contrast Sensitivity
British Medical Journal
Read More
Benefits of Dark UI
Halo Lab Blog post
Read More
