WHY DARK MODE ISN'T ALWAYS THE BEST CHOICE: A UX PERSPECTIVE

Summary from the TLDR Design newsletter

Dark mode has become a popular design trend, but it's not a universal UX solution and can actually weaken readability, increase cognitive load, and create accessibility challenges when misused. While dark mode works well in low-light environments and for creative or entertainment applications, it struggles in bright settings, with text-heavy content, and for users with astigmatism or low vision due to contrast issues and halation effects. The most effective UX strategy is to offer both light and dark modes based on user context, not forcing dark mode everywhere simply because it looks modern.