Dark Mode
& User Settings

Design Lead, Q4 2024 – Q3 2025

I proactively collaborated with web, iOS, and Android architects to tackle two lingering design debts that caused significant frustration: a fragmented user settings and a missing dark mode. By solving these pain points, we set the foundation to convert more users to our native apps.

Proactively pushing the most user requested feature live.

Challenge

Multi-theming ability for dark mode was postponed from the 2024 redesign due to cost and time constraints. The missing dark mode on launch frustrated users because it had been one of the most anticipated features.

Solution

We overhauled the design system with primitive and semantic color variable layers during a management change vacuum. All 600+ components were updated accordingly, and we achieved over 85% WCAG AA contrast compliance, closing a significant design depth. After testing, we decided to gate dark mode behind account registration to improve our conversion funnel.

Impact

85% WCAG AA compliance achieved

15% user account registrations

5% increase in session time when dark mode is active

All quantitative metrics have been anonymized or modified to protect sensitive business information.

My Contributions

UI Design, Design System, Accessibility, Usability Testing, Dev Handoff

Team

Tech Lead, Web Architect, iOS Architect, Android Architect, Devs

Dark Mode
& User Settings

Design Lead, Q4 2024 – Q3 2025

I proactively collaborated with web, iOS, and Android architects to tackle two lingering design debts that caused significant frustration: a fragmented user settings and a missing dark mode. By solving these pain points, we set the foundation to convert more users to our native apps.

Proactively pushing the most user requested feature live.

Challenge

Multi-theming ability for dark mode was postponed from the 2024 redesign due to cost and time constraints. The missing dark mode on launch frustrated users because it had been one of the most anticipated features.

Solution

We overhauled the design system with primitive and semantic color variable layers during a management change vacuum. All 600+ components were updated accordingly, and we achieved over 85% WCAG AA contrast compliance, closing a significant design depth. After testing, we decided to gate dark mode behind account registration to improve our conversion funnel.

Impact

85% WCAG AA compliance achieved

15% user account registrations

5% increase in session time when dark mode is active

All quantitative metrics have been anonymized or modified to protect sensitive business information.

My Contributions

UI Design, Design System, Accessibility, Usability Testing, Dev Handoff

Team

Tech Lead, Web Architect, iOS Architect, Android Architect, Devs

Dark Mode
& User Settings

Design Lead, Q4 2024 – Q3 2025

I proactively collaborated with web, iOS, and Android architects to tackle two lingering design debts that caused significant frustration: a fragmented user settings and a missing dark mode. By solving these pain points, we set the foundation to convert more users to our native apps.

Proactively pushing the most user requested feature live.

Challenge

Multi-theming ability for dark mode was postponed from the 2024 redesign due to cost and time constraints. The missing dark mode on launch frustrated users because it had been one of the most anticipated features.

Solution

We overhauled the design system with primitive and semantic color variable layers during a management change vacuum. All 600+ components were updated accordingly, and we achieved over 85% WCAG AA contrast compliance, closing a significant design depth. After testing, we decided to gate dark mode behind account registration to improve our conversion funnel.

Impact

85% WCAG AA compliance achieved

15% user account registrations

5% increase in session time when dark mode is active

All quantitative metrics have been anonymized or modified to protect sensitive business information.

My Contributions

UI Design, Design System, Accessibility, Usability Testing, Dev Handoff

Team

Tech Lead, Web Architect, iOS Architect, Android Architect, Devs

Simplifying user preferences
for growth.

We consolidated scattered settings from various menus into a standardized account hub. This eliminated user confusion around where to find important controls like push notifications. The new hub makes it easy to manage preferences and is built to be scalable, allowing to add new features like newsletter subscriptions and saved articles.

Using design tokens
for strategic personalization.

We moved our design system beyond a simple light and dark switch by building a flexible framework using design tokens. This allows us to quickly launch new styles for specific segments like video, sports, or premium users without needing more engineering time. It turned a basic feature into a tool that supports business growth while keeping the codebase clean.

Scaling the design quality
with clear guidelines.

We created clear guidelines and documentation that turned the design system into a tool teams could use on their own. By standardizing our process, junior designers and apprentices could work independently while maintaining high quality. This removed the need for constant senior-level oversight and allowed us to ship faster as we scaled.