Dark mode
Dark mode: the same calm place, in gentler light
Choose Light, Dark or System in Settings, and every screen follows, mind maps included. Dark mode keeps the same calm workspace in a gentler light.
What you can do with light and dark
- Light, Dark or System. Pick one in Settings → Appearance. System follows your device, so Xale turns dark when your phone or computer does.
- Every screen follows. Notes, lists, the day planner and your mind maps all switch together.
- A dark mode with warmth. Deep indigo instead of flat black, with soft colour in the background and the same serif headings, so it still feels like the same place.
- Per device. Keep your laptop light and your phone dark if that suits you.
Why I wanted dark mode that still feels calm
The screen doesn't always meet me in the same mood. Sometimes a light page is easier; late at night, dark mode is gentler. I wanted to switch between them without Xale feeling like a different app.
Rachit, founder of Xale
The ideas behind light and dark
No single light suits every moment
Light and dark each help in different conditions, so the useful thing is being able to choose.
- Worth reading: Nielsen Norman Group, "Dark Mode vs. Light Mode: Which Is Better?" Dark text on a light background usually reads more accurately, but ambient light, text size and your eyes all change the answer.
- In this release: Light, Dark or System, chosen per device.
Follow the room, not a rule
The easiest setting is the one you never have to remember.
- The usual way: switching an app's theme by hand every evening, or living with a glare that doesn't suit the room.
- In this release: System follows your device's own light and dark schedule, so Xale changes when everything else does.
Calm in both lights
A change of light shouldn't change how a place feels.
- Worth reading: Don Norman, Emotional Design (2004). How something looks and feels shapes how well it works for us, not just how much we like it.
- In this release: the same fonts, shapes and softness in both modes; only the light changes.
Further reading
- Cosima Piepenbrock, Susanne Mayr, Iris Mund and Axel Buchner, "Positive display polarity is advantageous for both younger and older adults", Ergonomics (2013): dark text on a light background improved reading accuracy for all ages tested. doi:10.1080/00140139.2013.790485
- Nielsen Norman Group, "Dark Mode vs. Light Mode: Which Is Better?" nngroup.com/articles/dark-mode
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