My mom couldn't read my website menu and I felt awful

I made a site for my friend's cafe with a dark green header and maroon text, thinking it looked fancy. My mom, who has trouble seeing some colors, tried to order online and called me to ask what the menu items were. I checked the contrast ratio and it was a 2.1, which is really bad. I changed the text to a light cream color and the ratio jumped to 5.8, and she read it fine right away. Has anyone else had a family member point out a big contrast problem you totally missed?

2 comments

2 Comments

ericjackson15h ago

Forget family, my own eyes told me. I redesigned my blog last year and after a long coding session, I literally could not read my own headlines. The strain gave me a headache. It's crazy how we design for our fresh eyes in the morning, not for tired eyes at night or for anyone with even minor vision changes. That moment made me run every color choice through a contrast checker before I even think about fonts.

stella_shah8913h agoTop Commenter

Wow, that's a brutal way to learn a lesson. Been there, @ericjackson. You spend hours making something look perfect, then your own eyes call you out. It's like your design betrays you. Those contrast checkers are lifesavers. Makes you realize how many sites are built just for perfect conditions. Real people don't have fresh eyes all the time.