Themes - Light or Dark?

[Rusty Snippets]

So, yeah, I guess I'm an old fogey. I have always preferred the light themes. But now I'm torn, because I looked at a really nice dark theme! Plus, I believe my forum audience will be mostly younger people, plus on up to a smattering of older-to-senior folks. What is the general consensus on light or dark themes? Or is there such a study done? I know I'll get lots of 'it's up to you, man' replies, but I'd really like to have suggestions as to which is more popular. Thanks!

 

[ŽivaAkcija]

dark /green mixed prefer

 

[Rusty Snippets]

dark /green mixed prefer

Hi, not really wanting personal preferences, but data showing use. But maybe it doesn't exist like that. Thanks!

 

[Ozzy47]

Generally it depends on the site and the userbase.

The Dos and Don'ts of Dark Web Design

Web Design Resources for designers. We include tutorials, plugins, and web development tools. Download free icons, and fonts for web and graphic designers.

www.webdesignerdepot.com

Dark vs. Light Design: Does It Really Matter? - Avila Web Firm

I can see many readers thinking, “Why would it matter? Light or dark design is just a designer’s personal preference, right?” It’s easy to think this, but dark and light design are world’s apart. Also, with the rising trend of dark website design, a closer look into the differences is needed...

www.avilawebfirm.com

Light Or Dark UI? A Usability Perspective - Usability Geek

From a usability perspective, the choice between a dark or a light user interface (UI) should take into consideration readability, the environment that the system or app will be used in and the emphasis that it wants to make.

usabilitygeek.com

 

[Rusty Snippets]

Generally it depends on the site and the userbase.

The Dos and Don'ts of Dark Web Design

Web Design Resources for designers. We include tutorials, plugins, and web development tools. Download free icons, and fonts for web and graphic designers.

www.webdesignerdepot.com

Dark vs. Light Design: Does It Really Matter? - Avila Web Firm

I can see many readers thinking, “Why would it matter? Light or dark design is just a designer’s personal preference, right?” It’s easy to think this, but dark and light design are world’s apart. Also, with the rising trend of dark website design, a closer look into the differences is needed...

www.avilawebfirm.com

Light Or Dark UI? A Usability Perspective - Usability Geek

From a usability perspective, the choice between a dark or a light user interface (UI) should take into consideration readability, the environment that the system or app will be used in and the emphasis that it wants to make.

usabilitygeek.com

This is what I was looking for! Thank you!

"........ A recent poll suggests that light designs are preferred by the general web-going audience by a whopping 47%. The main reason is readability. Most people don’t like viewing light text against a dark background on websites because it strains their eyes, making for a much less enjoyable experience. By contrast, 10% of those surveyed said that they always preferred dark backgrounds for websites, while another 36% said that the best choice would depend on the type of website............"

 

[Max Taxable]

What is the general consensus on light or dark themes?

I've always provided both. Here's my latest efforts, two themes one light one dark. http://nupoc.com

Eye strain? Every tactical display whether it be on submarines, aircraft carriers, fighter planes, passenger jets, or air traffic control is all dark screens. Dark screens are EASIER on the eyes, from a medical point of view if there's lots of hours of viewing. There's opinion polls from blogs and there's medical facts. Either way, the user IMO should have his/her preference available.

 

[Ehren]

What is the general consensus on light or dark themes?

Due to numerous requests from my customers, I'm now making a conscious effort to create both light and dark variations of my themes. This allows their visitors to choose their own colour scheme while allowing you to keep a consistent style on your site (except for the colour scheme of course).

Light themes work great during the day, but can be a burden in darker environments such as night time. A simple light/dark toggle button which switches the colour scheme keeps everyone happy!

 

[tourmeister]

Is there anyone that has light/medium/dark themes for the default styles? What I mean is that I really don't want to change anything with regard to the layout, I just would like to have a medium and dark color scheme to go with the default light scheme. I SUCK at picking and matching colors. My daily wear is blue jeans and a sold color T-shirt so I don't have to match anything

 

[beerForo]

I've always preferred light, or dark for only the header/background, with white or light pages for reading. NOT white text on dark except for non-content areas.