Enterprise Dark Mode Implementation

Overview

For a secure web application operated by a government agency and developed through various contractors and subcontractors, I spearheaded the implementation of a system-wide dark mode to improve comfort, accessibility, and modern UX expectations—without disrupting mission-critical workflows.

My role

• Owned ~80% of implementation across a large codebase in PHP and JavaScript.
• Established a tokenized CSS variables theme architecture for light/dark parity.
• Ensured WCAG 2.1 contrast across navigation, tables, forms, and modals.

What I built

• Auto-detection: Respect users’ system settings via prefers-color-scheme for instant, seamless theming.
• Accessible design tokens: Color variables with predictable contrast ratios and scalable naming.
• Full-scale rollout: Deployed in one controlled release across the entire application.

Outcome

The interface gained a modern, low-eye-strain dark theme with consistent accessibility. Teams could work comfortably in varied environments while preserving the system’s security posture and performance.