Twitter’s new design criticised for being less accessible

Tue,17 August 2021
News Equality & Rights

Twitter has come under fire for launching a new design, with a bespoke font and high colour contrast after the changes caused users to suffer headaches. 

The changes were designed to clean up "visual clutter". But many people with accessibility needs, especially those with processing and visual impairments, deluged the company with comments to say they found it confusing, hard to read and too bright.

Twitter responded to say: "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've identified issues with the Chirp font for Windows users and are actively working on a fix."

Twitter’s Head of Branding, Derrit DeRouen said back in January that a new font, designed, by Swiss type foundry Grilli, was being introduced "to improve how we convey emotion and imperfection" - and the widely used standard typeface Helvetica was "not up for the job".

DR UK’s Media and Communications Manager Anna Morell said: “Social media and communications companies need to remember that accessibility and substance must always come before style.”