Unnecessary Complexity: Dark Mode

I fucking hate dark mode.

As a designer, I pour everything into crafting a single, cohesive interface. I obsess over color, contrast, shading—every detail—to create something unique, something that delivers real value to the user. It's tough enough to get that right with one interface. But then someone decides, "Hey, let's have dark mode! It'll be easy; I'll do it in code!"

Dark mode, where we just slap an inverted color scheme on and call it a day because, you know, it's supposed to be easier on the eyes. Instead of designing something visually stunning and functionally sound, we're now in the business of making things "mathematically easier" on the eyes. Here's an idea: how about using your computer less, or maybe just putting a light behind your monitor so your eyes don't get so strained?

But no, developers are all about this dual-mode nonsense—like it's nearly a requirement for every app. Why? Almost every dark mode I see looks like absolute trash. Why would we want to double the surface area of an application by having a designer maintain two different color schemes? It's absurd.

Imagine mathematically inverting the colors of the Mona Lisa and then saying, "Hey, dark mode looks great? Am I right?"

Fuck off.

Steve Berry
Principal, Thought Merchants