Just this week, Twitter introduced new updates to the way its app and website looks, and now it’s making little changes in the contrast on its buttons. This is in response to the feedback the Social site got from some users who reported having eye strain, headaches, and migraines due to the higher visual contrast in the colours of buttons and links, as well as the new font, Chirp.
Like, most people think the new font is harder to read, despite Twitter’s Derrit DeRouen explanation about why the company felt a need to develop its own typeface, writing that, “for everyday use it must be sharp and legible (with good density), but with personality and distinctiveness.”
This is not the only issue people faced with the new update. Before now, when following someone, the button colour changed to blue from white or gray (depending on whether dark mode was on). But now, it’s the opposite when you don’t follow an account.
This is not really a headache for anyone, but it creates many metaphors that everyone takes into account and takes into account. Many people find that their followers are decreasing. Some followers are confused by the change. They assume the white follow button means that they no longer follow someone, and while attempting to follow back they click the follow button again and discover they have unfollowed them by accident.
Since this happens every time a popular website changes its design, Twitter’s immediate acceptance of the change has been mixed. Some Twitter users will get used to updates from time to time. But for those who say the new design is getting in the way, it simply reflects a problem with the way Twitter effected this change. Unlike Microsoft who did while they were about to bring in a new font after Calibri, it didn’t ask its users what choices they wanted to see.
Twitter’s update also pinpoints a common problem in online accessibility. Accessibility is not a panacea. A feature that makes a website more accessible for one person can make it difficult for another person to use. High contrast is useful for people who are suffering from poor visual sight or are colour-blinded. However, those who are sensitive to colour or bright light will resent it.
There is no single option available for the Twitter interface. What the Company would have done was to allow its users to select the options that best meet their choices. The Micro-blogging site currently has toggles for settings like increasing colour contrast and also display settings that allow people to choose between light and dark themes, or change the size of text.
If users have more granular options and can choose the right contrast level without waiting for universal changes from Twitter, it can save a lot of headaches. Or what do you think?
