Dark Mode: A Case for Change
A toolkit to make storyboarding faster, consistent, and accessible across Dell
Background
When Dell’s SaaS platform team introduced a Dark Mode concept, I noticed major visual inconsistencies and accessibility concerns. Instead of aligning with the existing design system, the team used a near-black palette that made the interface feel heavy, flat, and visually fatiguing. I took initiative to analyze these issues and propose an alternative direction that was both practical and visually scalable.
Problems & Process
The existing design introduced multiple usability and visual challenges
Visual Density: Heavy strokes and tight spacing created clutter and poor scannability.
Palette Limitations: The dark slate backgrounds caused harsh contrast and inconsistent alert colors.
Scalability: Without a dedicated dark-theme system, the design lacked adaptability for future UI patterns.
Working with the design system team, I conducted side-by-side evaluations of color combinations, adjusted tonal hierarchy, and explored solutions that could be adopted without overhauling the existing system.
Design Direction
My proposed direction focused on balance and scalability
Used the current gray palette as a foundation, layering two darker tones for depth.
Reduced stroke intensity and increased spacing to create a lighter, airier layout.
Refined accent and alert colors to use existing hues with higher luminosity for better contrast and consistency.
Rounded corners and subtle drop shadows improved depth and visual rhythm.
Key Findings
The current “near-black” background flattens hierarchy and makes content harder to read.
Light-gray variants provide better contrast, depth, and balance between vibrancy and usability.
Consistent tonal spacing allows the system to scale easily for other SaaS interfaces.
A structured color framework (with semantic tokens) will future-proof the visual system.
Impact
Improved readability and hierarchy through lighter dark tones and refined spacing.
Enhanced design consistency without requiring a new palette or component overhaul.
Advocated for systemic design improvements by collaborating across design system and product teams.
Next Steps
Propose formal color token documentation for dark mode within the design system.
Collaborate with accessibility team to test optimal contrast ratios across environments.
Roll out refined palette as a dark theme option for additional SaaS products.