Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Displays, cilt.93, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Software development is a cognitively demanding activity requiring high concentration and often involving long hours in front of screens. This can significantly affect developers’ well-being and productivity. The design of programming interfaces, especially color themes, plays a crucial role in code readability, visual comfort, and potential circadian health impacts. This study investigates the impact of programming interface theme design on developer well-being and productivity. Using comprehensive photometric, circadian, and visual quality metrics, ten popular programming themes were evaluated under various viewing conditions. The analysis reveals significant differences between dark and light themes in various metrics predicting circadian effects and visual comfort. Dark themes provide lower values in these metrics, hence having a lower potential for circadian disruption. Ambient lighting and viewing distance were significant factors that influenced theme performances, underscoring the importance of adaptive designs. These findings form the basis for evidence-based guidelines for informing the design of programming interfaces and could influence industrial standards and best practices.