Theme

When to Use Light vs Dark

It is important to determine the users’ environment and select the appropriate theme. In low-light operating environments where users’ pupils expand to allow more light to enter the cornea, a light-themed UI can be glaring and cause eye strain. Conversely, in a bright operating environment where the pupil contracts, letting less light in, dark-themed UIs can lose distinction and readability.

Example of a light theme Astro application.

By convention, the Global Status Bar and its enclosed elements will always use the dark theme styling.

Light Theme Use Cases

Outdoor environments
Brightly lit operating environments
Elements with long passages of text

Dark Theme Use Cases

Dark operating environments
Projection on large screens
Applications where a primary media element demands attention

The Global Status Bar is always rendered with the dark theme, as is any element contained within it.

Mixed Use

Individual sections or components can override their inherited theme on a case-by-case basis, enabling the render of an element with a light theme in an predominantly dark-themed interface and vice versa. Examples:

Dark-themed elements in the Global Status Bar
Light-themed modal window in a dark themed app

Example of a predominantly dark theme interface with the modal window rendered using the light theme to place greater emphasis on an interaction demanding the user’s attention.

Future Considerations

While not enabled by default at this time, light and dark themes can be swapped at runtime. For situations where lighting conditions can vary considerably, consider enabling runtime theme switching. A user-definable switch in the application settings, an ambient light sensor, or respecting OS level dark/light theme settings are all viable options.

Implementation