I’m currently building an MVP for my B2B marketing site, and I want to know if dark mode toggle really matters that much to users in the early days?
Edit: User base is mostly the people who use LinkedIn.
I think it depends on the product. If it’s on a site I’m going to briefly visit, then it’s gimmicky. If it’s an app I’m going to use for 10 hours a day, then changing the theme is much more appealing.
Ask your clients/users of the app. Random strangers on the internet can’t answer that very subjective question for you; only your target audience can.
Sky said:
Ask your clients/users of the app. Random strangers on the internet can’t answer that very subjective question for you; only your target audience can.
I don’t really think that’s a good idea; many clients will say that they want whatever you ask them about. They have no concept of the development time it will take and they suck at prioritizing.
Sky said:
Ask your clients/users of the app. Random strangers on the internet can’t answer that very subjective question for you; only your target audience can.
This.
Sky said:
Ask your clients/users of the app. Random strangers on the internet can’t answer that very subjective question for you; only your target audience can.
This.
Doesn’t add anything to the discussion.
And neither did I.
I feel like dark mode is actually becoming the standard. I’m seeing more pages with no light mode, if anything.
Pace said:
I feel like dark mode is actually becoming the standard. I’m seeing more pages with no light mode, if anything.
Most of the sites I use are light mode only.
Some have both.
I don’t know any that have dark mode only.
Pace said:
I feel like dark mode is actually becoming the standard. I’m seeing more pages with no light mode, if anything.
This is pure laziness. Just like not providing a dark mode. I won’t use sites/apps that don’t provide a light mode, and fully support those that don’t use sites/apps because there’s no dark mode.
@Phoenix
Ditto. Dark mode works for some interfaces but it’s bad for most, IMO. Especially for reading.
People say ‘dark mode’ and hand wave it as developer preference and a silly feature, but dark themes are a feature in all devices and operating systems for a reason. It’s essential for accessibility and even simply user comfort.
Light sensitivity, astigmatism, cataracts, glaucoma, diabetes (some individuals have visual difficulties), colour blindness, migraines, epilepsy, autism (overstimulation/overwhelming), ADHD (distraction, difficulty in parsing/processing), sensory processing disorders, fibromyalgia, autoimmune disorders, MS, mental health considerations…
Then there’s just people shopping at night, office workers or people who stare at a screen all day and don’t want to be blasted with more blue light after work, the aging population who experience increased glare sensitivity…
If your website is easier to visit, navigate, and browse for longer lengths, you’ll benefit.
Being a B2B, you would likely benefit more than a standard e-commerce considering the sales pipeline and session length would likely be longer and more involved. I can also pretty well guarantee a lot of your users will fit in a lot of the considerations above.
The real question is: ‘how many users/how much business will I lose if I don’t accommodate, and is the loss greater than the cost of implementing an alternate branding colourway in a dark option, a simple CSS class system, and a JavaScript toggle with cookie/session storage’ 
.
To me, the lift is so incredibly light in the development workflow that I’d be an idiot not to implement it at project commencement.
The other consideration is that going back to reflow your entire design system after the fact will be a nightmare. You’ll be checking individual items and cases and watching for regression rather than simply specifying an optional different colour when writing the styles. If you want to do it right.
Accessibility-wise, dark mode definitely matters—especially if you want users to stick with your app. For example, some neurodivergent people are more sensitive to light and bright colors, and dark mode can be much easier on their eyes.
@Tobin
Dark text on a light background is easier to read in almost all scenarios for almost all people. People just need to turn down the brightness on their screen. Blasting 1000 nits at your eyes in complete darkness is never going to be easy on the eyes.
It’s a big discussion whether Dark Mode support would be part of EN 301 549, chapter 11.7, regarding accessibility.
It definitely does to me… A LOT.
Yes. Coming from someone with eye sensitivity.
No. MVP means minimum viable product. Dark mode is above minimum.
Dark mode can be easily developed if you are maintaining CSS Variables.
Or a Maximum of 1-2 days work if it’s in the early stages as you mentioned.
Aki said:
Dark mode can be easily developed if you are maintaining CSS Variables.
Or a Maximum of 1-2 days work if it’s in the early stages as you mentioned.
Seriously, this is the way. It’s so easy, IF you plan your styles accordingly.
Not for an MVP. If users really want dark or light mode, there are browser extensions that can support that.
That said, dark mode isn’t a huge deal to add if you plan for it. Work with your designer so that when they pick a color palette, they can ensure that each value has an analogous dark value that still looks professional. You can also leverage CSS custom properties on the first pass to make things a little easier later on.