Color change RISE background? Black?

This feature was requested 9 years ago... and steady interest has been shown since! Can we get some form of real update? The white background is sooo tired, and changing every single block is just ridiculous. With all of the new AI features added, this should have been a quick fix for the app. Come on!

Good Morning,

I just wanted to check on the bg colour feature again.

I think, it is crucial that learning platforms offer the ability to adjust background colours to any HEX value. This is not only about branding and visual diversity, it is fundamentally a matter of accessibility, learner comfort and inclusivity and with that, learner equality and equity.

There is growing evidence that darker background colours can significantly reduce eye fatigue, particularly during extended periods of screen use. We see that in organisations, that switch from bright white PowerPoint presentations, to dark ones. People sigh in relief and usually also compliment the visual change on top. While it is easy to do that on PowerPoint ... It is a pain to do it in Rise. It should be a simple "--> type in HEX --> done" task. 

Having this feature, can lead to improved concentration, fewer headaches and better overall learning effectiveness. Many users who set their devices to dark mode report discomfort when forced to engage with bright, white backgrounds. Symptoms include eye twitching, strain and difficulty focusing. These are not minor inconveniences; they directly affect the learner’s ability to engage with and retain content.

Furthermore, background colour customisation is an important inclusivity feature. For example:

• Learners with dyslexia or dyspraxia often benefit from softer background tones such as pastel yellow or muted blue, which can reduce visual stress and improve readability.
• Neurodivergent users may find certain colour combinations calming or stimulating in ways that support their cognitive processing.
• Users with photophobia or light sensitivity can experience genuine discomfort or even pain when exposed to bright white screens, making dark backgrounds a necessary accommodation.

Although recent updates have introduced coloured blocks, the persistent white introduction pages and headers undermine the effectiveness of these improvements. This inconsistency disrupts the visual flow and can be a real pain for users who rely on dark mode for accessibility.

This feature was first requested over nine years ago. Given that HEX colour customisation is already available for other design blocks, extending it to headers and introduction pages — or simply providing a setting to “Set background colour” for the entire course — should not be a major development task. It is a small change with a significant impact, one that aligns with inclusive design principles and supports a more diverse range of learners.

We are all here to make learning more effective, accessible and engaging. Let's make sure our design choices reflect that mission - and this feature would help a lot. 

It took a while to get the blocks customisation going that I have requested, but you did it and its great. Let's get this crucial one out of the way as well. A lot of people will be very thankful and it will further cement Articulate products as the undisputed go to product for their learning designs.  

I agree this would be a neat feature, but it adds a lot of complexity as web designers will tell you. As an experiment I created a theme with dark mode support, meaning the background color changes based on the user's device preference. Lots of modern apps and websites offer this, in a highly accessible way and I hope Articulate would take this direction. But if the course author has manually changed text colors within a block to specific values, what happens when the background changes behind the custom text color- the contrast ratio changes completely. Will course authors need to author 2 courses (light and dark modes) instead of 1?

I made a screen recording (no audio) showing the theme in action- Rise theme with dark mode support