Designers, we need to talk about dark mode.

We ESPECIALLY need to talk about logo treatments and how to handle that when some apps don't support the dark mode media query (I'm look at you, Gmail app).

The general recommendation is to put a border or glow behind the logo so it's visible on a dark background.

I know you're rolling your eyes at me. Hear me out. No one cares about brand guidelines as much as you do. You're the one who put hours into making sure designs don't fall into utter chaos, and your customers are better for it.

But ... can you try to let go, even if just a little? Branding guidelines are just that - guidelines. They're meant to provide guidance to keep your brand on track, but also need to be flexible enough to adapt to an increasingly digital world.

Because what's worse, keeping strict on brand guidelines and having an unreadable logo in the gmail app, therefore providing a frustrating experience to your users, or going with it and adding the border so your subscribers can see who the email is actually from?

I'll take making it easier on my subscribers any day of the week.

Branding isn't only about what looks pretty. It's about how your customers and subscribers interact with your brand, on all mediums.

Do you want to be helpful, or a hindrance? The choice is yours.

See ya on the interwebs,

Meg