Light vs Dark Mode
I wouldn’t label this as just a trend. Back in the day, there was a clear lack of dark mode option, wishing that websites would have this, so it’s nice to see most modern websites implementing it, and coming to realize peoples’ preferences, otherwise they had to resort to external extensions that inject the dark mode.
Research
https://ux.stackexchange.com/questions/53264/dark-or-white-color-theme-is-better-for-the-eyes
I don’t think this research is well done, and I agree with most comments. This research is old, and no new good research has been published. I was hoping big tech companies’ HCI teams would conduct formal research on this topic as they have started to finally give us the option for dark mode after so many years. Several variables include:
- The quality in displays, and the types of displays compared to old times, as well as the size of these displays.
- Fatigue and strain caused by looking at the [mode] for longer periods. Why 90% of the coders prefer dark mode.
- I think the font matters as well—mono fonts seem better in dark mode compared to sans/serif. I would also like to see research on that.
- The levels of contrast. I do think plain white text on a plain black background can cause strain as well, mainly due to that white flashing, especially since you’re focusing on the text itself, potentially casuing halation.