Many people think that as compared to light website design, dark design has a more powerful impact. Others, however, possess the opposite view. Truth is that impact of a particular design depends on the way you use it.

Using dark design in a particular website can create a beautiful effect. However, using the same design in another website may not create the desired effect. In this article, we will offer a comparative analysis of dark and web design. Thereafter, we will highlight few tips that will help you to utilize dark design effectively.

Light vs. Dark Background

• Subject

If your website aims to evoke a cheery and happy feeling amongst your target audience, opting for a light background can be a great idea. Examples of such websites can include holiday and wedding sites. On the other hand, if your website revolves around themes, such as music and gadgets, you can choose a dark design.

• User

Before deciding the type of web design you would like to choose, you should evaluate sensibilities of your target audience. If your target audience comprises of senior people, for example, opting for a light design would be a great idea.

The reason is that senior people are usually used to exploring light background sites. If they suddenly come across a website with a dark theme, they may not react positively. In brief, consider preferences of your target audience, before finally choosing the dark/light web design.

• Purpose

Purpose of your website should match its background. If you are planning to create an online store that sells cool gadgets, you may pick out a dark design. However, if your store wants to sell children’s toys and outfits, a light design will complement purpose of the website.

Dark Background And The Issue Of Readability

Many people believe that using a dark design can interfere with readability of the site. However, this is a myth. Dark design does not hamper readability in any manner. In most cases, a site becomes unreadable because of factors, such as incorrect text color, wrong font size, and line-height.

• Smart use of dark web design

Plenty of articles that offer information about white background are available in the Internet. Repeating the same information does not make any sense. Therefore, we will provide you with few tips that will help you to use dark design effectively.

• void cluttering at any cost

Unlike light background, a dark background convinces users that elements are closer to each other than they are in reality. This in turn, creates a cluttering impression. To avoid such a situation, you need to use the white space effectively. This rule is applicable for websites with medium and low information.

If your site possesses excessive content, on the other hand, divide it into separate sections or subpages.

• Pay attention to typography

Typography is especially important for a dark background website. Remember that if your choice of typography is poor, it will interfere with readability of your site. This in turn, will convince people that dark background hampers readability, which is a wrong concept.

To improve readability, try to enhance kerning, font-size, line-height and break down long paragraphs into small ones.

• Highlight the desired element

One of the greatest advantages of dark design is that it can easily highlight a desired element, such as picture or text. You can utilize this advantage by implementing various blending modes and reflections, which in turn could create a dazzling effect.

In Conclusion…

Dark and light designs have respective advantages and disadvantages. You should weigh the pros and cons of both these options, before taking the final decision. Additionally, you need to consider theme and purpose of your website and preferences of your target audience.