Dark mode or light mode vs both for your SaaS product

In the evolving world of SaaS design, one question continues to spark debate: should you offer dark mode, light mode, or both? This decision can impact user satisfaction, engagement, and even device performance. In this article, we'll explore the advantages of each mode and share our experience with a heat pump application, where we chose dark mode for optimal user experience.

The battle of the modes

Dark mode and light mode are two distinct color schemes for user interfaces. Light mode, the traditional choice, uses dark text on a light background. It's familiar to users, offers better readability in bright environments, and makes it easier to implement color schemes and branding. On the flip side, dark mode inverts this, displaying light text on a dark background. It has gained popularity for reducing eye strain, especially in low-light environments, saving energy on OLED screens, and offering an aesthetic appeal often perceived as modern and sleek.

Some applications offer both options, allowing users to choose their preference. While this caters to diverse user preferences, it comes with implementation challenges and increased design complexity.

Creating for the dark side: A case study

When deciding between dark mode, light mode, or both, it's crucial to consider your target audience, the nature of your application, and how and when users will interact with it. Let's look at our experience with a heat pump management application, designed to help users monitor and collect data on their home-installed heat pumps, to illustrate this point.

For this project, we made the decision to implement dark mode exclusively. This choice was driven by several factors:

• Optimal for illustrations: Our application heavily relies on detailed illustrations of heat pump systems. The dark background provided excellent contrast, making these illustrations more visible and easier to interpret.
• Enhanced data visualization: The heat pump data, often displayed in graphs and charts, stood out more effectively against the dark background, improving readability and analysis.
• Reduced eye strain: Considering that many of our users might access the application in dimly lit mechanical rooms or during evening hours, dark mode helps reduce eye strain during extended use.
• Energy Efficiency: For users accessing the app on mobile devices with OLED screens, dark mode contributes to battery savings, aligning with the energy-efficient nature of heat pumps themselves.

Best practices for each mode

When implementing different color modes for your SaaS product, it's crucial to consider the unique challenges and opportunities each mode presents. Let's explore some key best practices for dark mode, light mode, and implementing both options to ensure an optimal user experience.

Dark mode

• Avoid pure black; dark grays are easier on the eyes and improve readability,
• Ensure sufficient contrast for text and important elements,
• Test your design under various lighting conditions,
• Adapt branding elements to maintain consistency in dark mode.

Light mode

• Use a clean, bright background that's easy on the eyes (pure white isn't always necessary),
• Ensure text and UI elements have sufficient contrast against the light background,
• Be mindful of color choices to avoid eye strain in bright environments,
• Test extensively in bright environments, especially sunlight.

Implementing both modes

If you're considering implementing both light and dark modes for your SaaS product, keep these best practices in mind:

• Ensure a seamless experience by using colors that work well in both modes,
• Provide an easy way for users to switch between modes,
• Consider using system preferences as the default setting,
• Test thoroughly to ensure all elements are visible and functional in both modes.

The bottom line

Choosing between dark mode, light mode, or both ultimately depends on your product's purpose and your users' needs. Our experience with the heat pump project demonstrates that sometimes, committing fully to one mode can be the right choice. By aligning our design decisions with the core functionality of our heat pump application (saving energy), we created a more cohesive and user-friendly experience.

Remember, the key is to understand your users, test thoroughly, and make informed decisions based on your product's unique requirements. Whether you go with dark, light, or both, remember that usability and user satisfaction should always be at the forefront.