The dark mode is a mode that supplements the regular mode and is used to display a dark theme on the UI. Dark mode has taken the digital world by storm in these recent years with big social platforms like YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram, also integrating this feature into their UI.
Apart from these social platforms, tech giants like Apple and Samsung also incorporated this feature into their smartphones and tablets. Why is it so popular? Because it not only enhances the visual ergonomics but also gives off a more sophisticated feel and the comfort of using it in dark environments and at night.
Why Dark Mode UI?
Dark mode has recently gained a lot of popularity among online users due to its visual impact. If you successfully implement the dark mode into your website design, you can enjoy a variety of features and benefits, like:
- Improved legibility
- Enhanced concentration and visual representation
- Improved color contrast
- Limit blue light
- Relieve the user from eye strain and fatigue (resulting in longer use of your website)
Best Practices for Dark Mode Website Design
When designing a dark mode, a lot of things can go wrong if you don’t know how to incorporate all the elements of a website into your dark theme. As a result, you might end up putting the user off instead of enhancing the experience.
So, to help you create a great dark mode UI website design, here are some of the best practices to incorporate the dark theme into your design.
1). “Dark” Space
Dark themed website design or dark mode, in general, feels a little “heavy” to look at, so it requires a lot of whitespaces or “dark” space – blank space around your website elements and content. You may think of whitespace as a waste of screen and unimportant, but it makes all the difference in your website design. For example, the image below shows a great use of whitespace by Apple.
White space is vital for the hierarchy of your website design and is a powerful tool when it comes to navigation and legibility. By striking a perfect balance between the use of whitespace and positive space is the key to designing dark an effective dark mode. Too much whitespace will make your design look unfinished while too little will feel congested.
2). Enhance Usability
If you want to design a user-friendly app, then the dark mode is the best option for you. Most of the websites and apps with heavy nigh time usage use dark theme for their web design to improve usability. Why? Because dark mode reduces eye strain and fatigue, thus making the whole experience more comfortable and enjoyable.
For example, many entertainment apps like Netflix and Prime Video have a dark mode to make their website experience more comfortable.
Some other social media apps that have high nigh time usage also offer users to transition between light and dark mode depending upon their preference, such as Instagram, Facebook, Google Maps, etc. If you want a website like theirs, consider consulting website design Dubai based experts for your site design.
3). Visual Content Enhancement
The biggest advantage of incorporating a dark mode in your website design is how it accentuates and emphasizes the visual content and elements. The dark mode is best for creating eye-catching visual websites and apps. For example, on the home page of the MasterClass, you can see how the dark, heavy background is making the images and CTA “pop” with perfect contrast.
The colorful and lighter images pop out against a dark backdrop, thus creating a perfect visual hierarchy that naturally lets your eyes flow through all the essential elements and CTA. This is amazing for large, high-contrast images or product images; thus, if your brand is a shopping platform with images, then a dark theme is perfect for your website.
4). Creating a Brand Identity
As discussed above, dark mode UI design requires more whitespace; hence, it tends to evoke stronger emotions as don’t by Apple. The reason behind this strong emotional connection is the psychology of color. Each color evokes a different feeling in the viewer, and color black is associated with the feeling of power, authority, elegance, and sophistication.
It is a powerful color used to symbolize mystery, luxury, and drama, and when paired with contrasting images and animations, the results are absolutely stunning. The dark mode is perfect for setting a mood on your website for end-users to evoke certain emotions that you want your brand to be associated with.
5). Color Palette Considerations
When it comes to the dark theme, you need to carefully consider the color palette for your website elements and text. For text, the “on” color in the dark theme is Pure White, which would vibrate and stand out against the dark background.
Pro Tip: Remember, light text on a dark background is more vibrant and bold than dark on a light background.
When it comes to colors, avoid using too saturated colors on dark mode, they might be looking amazing on light backgrounds, but on dark themes, they are harder to read. Use lighter tones to contrast against the dark surface and increase the legibility of elements and content. Another important consideration is that instead of using all dark black, opt for dark grey or layers.
6). Allow Users to Switch Modes
To avoid bad UX, make sure you allow your users to switch from regular (light) mode to dark mode when they want to. By doing this, you give control back to the user and let them decide for themselves as most people prefer using a dark mode both in daytime and night-time.
So, make sure you don’t enable the auto-dark mode on your website and apps. Allow the users to control the dark mode through UI controls and have them do this manually according to their own needs. But for this to work successfully, you need to position the dark mode switcher in your design that is easily accessible by the user, as done by YouTube.
Enhance Your Website Design with Dark Mode!
While developing a website and an app with the Dark Mode feature, it is highly essential to understand the basics and UI requirements. It is becoming quite popular among website owners because of its striking and elegant visuals and feels.
Instead of DIY your website design, consider consulting with Spiral Click a website design company in Dubai to help you create a dark themed website design that delivers a clear message across to your audience. Without proper knowledge of the basics and understanding, you might end up losing all your traffic. So, consult a professional and have a simple ad clean website design with a dark mode feature that your users will love to interact with!