Hey, ! Which movies have made it to your Christmas watch list this year?

Let's say you plan on watching one of those movies during the day in your living room. Imagine two scenarios here:

1️⃣ The window blinds are completely open. The sun's rays are flooding the room making it really bright, and competing with the movie's vibrant scenes. Undeterred by the brightness, you are trying to immerse yourself in the film.

2️⃣ The blinds are closed and all the lights in the room are turned off. With the outside world shut out, the only source of illumination is the flickering glow of the TV screen giving you a movie theatre vibe.

Which experience would you prefer out of the two? Former or the latter?

🧵 Threading the needle of relevance 

A movie streaming site using light mode

📉 UI pitfalls

👁️ Eye Fatigue - In settings with low ambient light, such as during nighttime or in dark rooms, light mode can be overly bright and cause discomfort to users' eyes.

🙎‍♀️ Distraction - Light mode interfaces could distract users from the primary focus on the movie thumbnails and video playback.

🔋 High energy consumption - Light mode tends to contribute to more energy consumption and battery drainage when compared to dark mode.

Next, you're sitting in a hotel lobby and you come across an interesting 'text-heavy' magazine consisting of black pages with white text. (or) Imagine a physical newspaper in all black background with white text. I want you to wonder if reading it would be effortless or if the highly contrasting colors would pose a challenge to your eyes.

🧵 Threading the needle of relevance 

A global news website using dark mode

📉 UI pitfalls

📖 Readability issues - White text on dark backgrounds can cause readability issues for users with certain visual impairments or eye conditions.

🔴 Contrast issues - Dark mode may impact the accuracy of color representation, making it challenging to maintain the legibility of visual elements.

🥱 Attention fatigue - Extended exposure to dark mode in well-lit environments, especially in text-heavy applications with a variety of content types, may lead to attention fatigue for users.

✅ General Usage Guidelines in UI Design

Light Mode

👉 Daytime usage

👉 Text-heavy applications with multiple content types

👉 Applications with colorful branding

👉 For professional and formal applications

Dark Mode

👉 Nighttime usage

👉 Applications with minimal content types

👉 Looking to reduce energy consumption

👉 For enhanced aesthetics and modernity

🔄 Let's level up by switching modes!!

A movie streaming site using "dark" mode

The dark background enhances contrast, making it easier to focus on the content, while also reducing the amount of blue light emitted, which can disrupt sleep patterns. Additionally, dark mode has created a more immersive and cinematic atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience of watching movies on the platform.

A global news website using "light" mode

Light mode offers a clean and crisp interface, making it easier for readers to consume content without straining their eyes. The contrast between the background and text is more pronounced, ensuring better legibility. Additionally, light mode aligns with the traditional appearance of news platforms, providing a sense of familiarity and enhancing user engagement.