Loading…
13
That moment in the parking lot when I saw my app in daylight
I was sitting in my car at the Target on 42nd Street around 4pm last Tuesday, checking my own dark theme on my phone. The sunlight hit the screen and I couldn't read a single button, all that gray-on-gray text just vanished. It hit me that I only ever tested in my office with the blinds closed, so I never saw how weak my #2a2a2a background was under real glare. Has anyone else built a whole theme in a dark room and then had it fall apart outside, or do you guys test in different lighting on purpose?
1 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In1 Comment
rayc831mo ago
Ha, "gray-on-gray text just vanished" is exactly what happened to me. I spent two weeks on a soft green palette, all cozy in my basement office, and then stood outside a coffee shop trying to show my buddy the login screen. Couldn't see a thing, just a shiny mirror. The worst part was the light gray buttons, they turned into invisible blobs against the lighter background. Now I keep a cheap fluorescent desk lamp pointed at my monitor just to fake the harsh glare. Also, I'm pretty sure every car windshield is a built-in contrast tester that my boss never mentions.
2