The Importance of Web Design Contrast: Designing for Every User
People often overlook crucial parts of web design, and one of the worst mistakes you can make is to forget about contrast. Web design contrast is important: it makes elements stand out and improves legibility and usability.
Web design contrast: several types
There are a few types of contrast. Color contrast is the one most of us think about, but there’s also font contrast and size contrast.
Color contrast is essential for any kind of design. What it is is the difference between colors on your webpage; it’s basically what makes certain elements stand out. Insufficient contrast means the text is barely legible, which decreases accessibility and usability. Use light on a dark background or the opposite. Good use of contrast helps draw attention to the element you want.
Font contrast helps differentiate various kinds of content thanks to a font. Use a different font for headings or titles, and your users will pay attention.
The same can be said about size contrast, which we use both for text and images. Once again, it’s both important for drawing attention and legibility.
Web pages with good contrast are easy to read and work in your favor. If you need to sell something, you can use contrast to make the Sell button all the more enticing. If you’re sharing information, using font contrast and size contrast makes text easier to comprehend.
Contrast and accessibility
In recent years, accessibility has become a crucial part of the web, which is good. Sure, it limits our creativity in a certain way, but it also makes the internet a much more welcoming place.
According to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), you can’t neglect contrast when designing a page. WCAG 2.1 indicates that the contrast ratio between the text and its background must meet a minimum standard.
Contrast is important for those with color blindness and low vision. Some such people simply can’t use the web because they cannot distinguish between certain elements. By ensuring that the contrast ratio between text and its background meets the standards and using size and font contrast effectively, designers can create websites accessible to a broader range of users.