High contrast mode should be optional and off by default.

-EmeraldThunder-

Yesterday, the ST added a new “Contrast Blocks” feature to Scratch Labs, their experimental testing site. This makes the blocks “more readable” by increasing the difference between colours.
I, however, am opposed to these changes, which the ST aim to implement by summer 2023 and seem to be enforcing as the only option. The colours make the editor incredibly ugly to look at and make it hard to do any long periods of coding.
If you really must add this feature for accessibility, it should be toggleable and off by default, so people with sight problems can change it in settings.

BuzzedOut

-EmeraldThunder- wrote:
…seem to be enforcing as the only option…

I don’t see anything saying that it will be, although I guess the title is a little vague. ‘New block colors’ could imply either option.

Last edited by BuzzedOut (April 27, 2023 06:51:45)

-Valtren-

I spend every day for the past month checking to see if scratch lab has updated and the one day I don't check it updates?!
I think you should suggest this in the feedback survey for block contrasts

CST1229

BuzzedOut wrote:
I don’t see anything saying that it will be, although I guess the title is a little vague. ‘New block colors’ could imply either option.

On the page, there's a part about change, which implies that it will not be optional:

And another part whose wording also implies that:

RED-001-alt

They actually did something with Scratch Labs for the first time in over a year??

Euglena73

I will say, very agreed. In this suggestion, you briefly described my doubt about the proposed block revision. I will say that the new color scheme does not make a special impression on me, yes or no, it does not matter to me, but if it is to be the only possible color scheme, I think it is unfair for people who prefer the older version of the color scheme. I myself think that both versions with colors should be available, so that there is freedom of choice and people who want to use the new blocks could switch to them. If “old blocks” are deleted, users' freedom of choice will be denied.

eikh2

Ridiculous that it won't be togglable. Support.

Prince_Wolf1

Support.I really don:t like it and it makes me not want to code with it.also I’ve seen a few scratchers say the light blue make people who hear or taste sounds…very uncomfortable to say the least so the motion blocks would be a problem.

D-ScratchNinja

Can I see for myself?

Oh, here it is.

This will certainly take a little time for me to get used to, but it looks like a good change. Even for those without substantial vision disabilities, the lighter blocks with black text on the current white background are easier to read, no matter the block category.

I think they were especially useful for the Events blocks, which were very bright and probably the hardest to read for anybody at all - they needed a change. This is probably the main contributing factor to the Scratch Team's decision to change the color scheme of the blocks.

If the Scratch Team doesn't make this an option, here are the advantages of that:
- All future tutorial videos will have the high-contrast blocks, so anyone can follow along.
- The only option is to adjust to the new high-contrast blocks, which I don't expect would take long.

But I understand and would embrace the benefits of an option so that people can pick between two block color palettes (maybe some people see the original colors better), if possible. But if not, these updated block colors are still the better option, IMO.

Last edited by D-ScratchNinja (Nov. 2, 2022 02:40:03)

eikh2

Bump

cookieclickerer33

-EmeraldThunder- wrote:
Yesterday, the ST added a new “Contrast Blocks” feature to Scratch Labs, their experimental testing site. This makes the blocks “more readable” by increasing the difference between colours.
I, however, am opposed to these changes, which the ST aim to implement by summer 2023 and seem to be enforcing as the only option. The colours make the editor incredibly ugly to look at and make it hard to do any long periods of coding.
If you really must add this feature for accessibility, it should be toggleable and off by default, so people with sight problems can change it in settings.

SUPPORT I have partical color blindness and it makes it worse, the colors clash horribly I can’t see why they can’t do this
It seems like they are actively trying to ruin scratch with Al the server troubles that they aren’t fixing

Knightbot63

Support. I like the current ones better and the new improved ones look too oversimplified.

cookieclickerer33

Knightbot63 wrote:
Support. I like the current ones better and the new improved ones look too oversimplified.

I think they look more complex
But yea they look like trash was lit on fire and then got crushed

wolfburrito95

Support. They're hard to read, and they're sores to my eyes.

Fun_Cupcake_i81

I also support this. I don't have any vision impairments personally, but the black text on the lighter colors is harder to read from just looking at it. It wouldn't be terrible but it also wouldn't be great.
I'm also guessing that the forum block plugin thingy

(by which I mean this)

isn't going to change (since it already didn't change for 3.0), which will just make it EVEN HARDER to help people with scripts in the Help With Scripts forum.
So yeah. Let's please make this feature optional Scratch Team. <33

Last edited by Fun_Cupcake_i81 (Oct. 27, 2022 02:17:35)

B0o0lean

Support! I’ve seen many people on this thread talk about how they’re colourblind and this actually makes it worse. There are different types of colourblindness, each on a wide range of the spectrum. It’s like making an autism-friendly update that only caters to one range on the spectrum - what about the others? And for non-colourblind people like us, well, I physically flinched when checkng out the updated colours. Scratch is meant to be friendly to everyone, which is why I really appreciate the ST deciding to add this, but “everyone” also includes “people not affected by the aforementioned condition”.

i mean if they do add it someone will probably make an extension to turn it back so don’t lose hope just yet

BuzzedOut

CST1229 wrote:
BuzzedOut wrote:
I don’t see anything saying that it will be, although I guess the title is a little vague. ‘New block colors’ could imply either option.
On the page, there's a part about change, which implies that it will not be optional:

And another part whose wording also implies that:

After re-reading (which I probably should have done in the first place, oops…) yeah, it does actually look like these won’t be optional.

Support - some people might be in a school setting where you can’t just install plugins or go on turbowarp, and this could lower the readability or just generally be annoying.

officesuppliez

it's so people with low vision can see the blocks easier, I think they look nice and the purpose for them is cool, scratch coding blocks aren't supposed to be aesthetic, they're supposed to be easy to use and fun, and I honestly don't see how this changes that. no support.

donotforgetmycode

officesuppliez wrote:
it's so people with low vision can see the blocks easier, I think they look nice and the purpose for them is cool, scratch coding blocks aren't supposed to be aesthetic, they're supposed to be easy to use and fun, and I honestly don't see how this changes that. no support.

This suggestion isn't to remove the new blocks. It's to make them optional, which is an objectively good idea because people who want them can keep them on, but people who don't want them can turn them off.

electronightrider

I agree, they make my eyes bleed

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