Twitter Changes Design After Users Said They Got Headaches

Just a few days after it launched some new design modifications meant to make it extra accessible, Twitter goes again to the drafting board, and for an excellent purpose. The design decisions had been actually hurting some customers’ eyes and giving them complications.

Twitter on Friday announced that it was making modifications to the distinction on its new buttons to accommodate folks with sensory sensitivities. The firm has acquired varied complaints from customers about how the brand new design choices—which embody its new Chirp font, excessive distinction colours and buttons, fewer grey backgrounds, and fewer divider traces—have impacted them over the previous couple of days.

One autistic person informed the corporate that eradicating the divider traces and making its colours and buttons excessive distinction made the location “extremely uncomfortable.”

“As an autistic person, removing lines and shifting to high-contrast makes using the site extremely uncomfortable now,” Twitter person @MxKelsieSkye said. “Also the font appears fine when I look closely, but for some reason it’s making my vision blurry the longer I use the site. This is a bad beta I hope.”

Another person stated he could not read the Chirp font in any respect and didn’t know what he would do when his cellphone up to date the app with the brand new design. Others said they’d medical situations and now couldn’t learn Twitter with out getting a headache.

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“The new typeface worsens my astigmatism. I cannot read without having a headache. My systems typeface is tailored for my eyesight,” Twitter person @_psot wrote.

Earlier within the week, the corporate asked users to let it know in the event that they had been experiencing complications, migraines, or eye pressure on account of its new font. At that point, Twitter additionally acknowledged that it was experiencing some show bugs and was working to resolve them.

The firm has maintained that’s listening to person suggestions in regards to the design updates and monitoring feedback.

“We’re making contrast changes on all buttons to make them easier on the eyes because you told us the new look is uncomfortable for people with sensory sensitivities. We’re listening and iterating,” Twitter stated by way of its Twitter Accessibility account on Friday.

Alex Haagaard, founding member of the Disabled List, identified that Twitter’s new design modifications are an instance that accessibility isn’t one-size-fits-all. In reality, as TechCrunch notes, experts state that customization, comparable to permitting customers to alter the distinction and font to go well with their wants, is the easiest way to make web sites accessible.

“This is a great example of how some access needs routinely get centered over others within ‘accessible’ processes!” Haagaard stated. “High contrast is notoriously NOT accessible for many photosensitive & chronically pained folks.”

Gizmodo reached out to Twitter for extra touch upon its announcement to make design modifications on Saturday, however we didn’t obtain a response by the point of publication. We’ll make sure that to replace this weblog if we hear again.

In a press release to TechCrunch, Twitter stated that it had sought suggestions from folks with disabilities all through the method of making a brand new design.

“However, people have different preferences and needs and we will continue to track feedback and refine the experience,” the corporate stated. “We realize we could get more feedback in the future and we’ll work to do that.”