This post is to share my thoughts on one of the biggest blunder web designers do. By focusing on Low Contrast Text in their work. The highlight of this article is Low Contrast texts spoil readability.
A Low Contrast Text is frequenting the web. Taking readability and discoverability with it. It’s stressing our eyes. Making all of us feel more established and somewhat less able. Tricked by the pattern of moderation or minimalism. Sites are deserting their high-differentiate customs and changing to the Dark Side (or should I say the Medium-Gray Side). For destinations willing to forfeit meaningfulness for structure ability. Low Contrast Text has turned into an anticipated decision, with unsurprising, industrious ease of use defects.
Before utilizing Low Contrast Text on a site, particularly for content, pause for a minute to recall every one of the reasons why they corrupt convenience. What you see when you fire up a device is dependent on a variety of factors: what browser you use, whether you’re on a mobile phone or a laptop, the quality of your display, the lighting conditions, and, especially, your vision.
At that point consider the reasons that incited your site’s low-differentiate plan decisions in any case. T
How Bad is Low Contrast Text for Readability?
Discovery and legibility suffers:
Clients who can’t see a component on the page can’t utilize it. At the point when putting in an unpredictable piece of the page, a low-differentiate component won’t emerge when a client checks the page. For instance, a dark on-dim hunt symbol or login interface in the upper left rather than the upper right. Remember that testing for discoverability and findability requires more than examination, since navigate information may disclose to you what gets few ticks, however it won’t uncover why.
At the point when the complexity is excessively low, clients experience eye strain as they endeavor to interpret the words. Research has additionally demonstrated that individuals are less trusting of content that is difficult to peruse — a remainder from the time of fine print.
Disrupts user flow:
When people struggle to notice or read text on a website this can reduce their confidence about the site and hinder their chances of completing tasks they set out to achieve. Lack of confidence in a site though will increase the chance that a user will abandon your site and go to a competitor’s site instead. If an asset is difficult to see, especially if it is positioned in an unconventional location on the page, users are going to struggle to notice it and therefore will not interact with the element. This is a known conversion killer.
Neglects User-frendliness:
Which would you rather use: a website that makes you feel like everything is working as you expected or a website that makes you feel like something is wrong with you for not being able to find what you are looking for? In testing, I have observed many users blame themselves when they are unable to accomplish tasks on a modern-looking website because they cannot see the text or they struggle to read it. When people don’t feel confident on a site, they are more likely to abandon it and go elsewhere.
Mobile users or people with low vision or incognitive impairments suffer even more:
Envision attempting to peruse low contrast message on a cell phone while strolling in the splendid sun. Indeed, even high-differentiate content is difficult to peruse. When there is glare. However, low-differentiate content is almost unimaginable.
As we get older our vision debases. A huge number of individuals around the globe have some sort of vision hindrance, presbyopia (difficulty focusing on close objects), macular degeneration, glaucoma, and cataracts. However, not just low-vision clients are influenced: psychological conditions that sway momentary memory and capacity to keep up attentional concentrate additionally make utilizing hard-to-see message amazingly troublesome.
At the point when clients see false affordances or miscues, they take more time to decide the right elucidation. For example, by convention, disabled features are dimmed or grayed out. Low contrast treatments risk sending users the wrong signal about the availability of an option.
Confidence suffers:
When people struggle to notice or read text on a website this can reduce their confidence about the site and hinder their chances of completing tasks they set out to achieve. Lack of confidence in a site though will increase the chance that a user will abandon your site and go to a competitor’s site instead.
Grey vs The classic duo of Black and white:
Black text is not a problem. The glaring white background is. That background glare is the cause of eye-strain. Grey text just makes that worse as users often strain to read – which is why grey text often takes longer to read than black text. In fact, many people can “see” a whole page of black text and get a sense of the message in an instant – almost impossible to achieve such a quick scan with grey text. In this vein, white on black can be easier on the eye – although font and size are important. The Classic Windows Desktop (white on a mid-blue/grey) is very easy to read.
On a related matter, the trend to “Flat” design has seen entire pages turn white. Apart from the glare, clickable areas become indistinguishable from the passive areas. How does that improve usability? What’s wrong with: – Menus / Links / Contents being on contrasting panels? -“Buttons” having shade, gradients or bevels? – Icons remaining multicoloured and textured rather than primtive and monotone?
Closing Remarks:
As with any trend, it’s important to understand the reasons behind it. And always question whether or not it makes sense for your site. Most websites don’t have the luxury of a household name and an army of loyal brand followers. That are willing to endure a frustrating user experience. Instead of adopting low-contrast designs, consider other ways to alter the prominence of elements on the screen, without harming usability or accessibility.
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