NewApp Digest
search bot

dark blue

Windows 3.1 included a red and yellow 'Hot Dog Stand' color scheme so garish it was long assumed to be a joke, so I tracked down Microsoft's original UI designer to get the true story
Winsage
December 9, 2025

Windows 3.1 included a red and yellow ‘Hot Dog Stand’ color scheme so garish it was long assumed to be a joke, so I tracked down Microsoft’s original UI designer to get the true story

Virginia Howlett, a pioneering interface designer at Microsoft since 1985, was part of the team that created the themes for Windows 3.1, including the vibrant "Hot Dog Stand" color scheme. This theme featured bright yellow and red and was one of several color palettes designed to allow user customization. Howlett noted that the user interface primarily used black lines on a white background with shades of gray for 3-D buttons. She expressed surprise at the continued interest in Windows 3.1 as it approaches late 2025. The Hot Dog Stand theme was not intended as a joke but rather as a memorable design choice in the history of Windows.
I’m paying American Express $900/year for a dark mode on its Android app
AppWizard
September 25, 2025

I’m paying American Express $900/year for a dark mode on its Android app

American Express has updated its mobile app to include a new “Premium” dark mode theme exclusively for Platinum cardholders, coinciding with an increase in the card's annual fee. The previous dark mode has been enhanced to a pitch-black interface. Initial reactions to the update were mixed, with some users skeptical about the value of the aesthetic change. The Premium dark mode is seen as a strategic move by American Express to retain customers amid rising fees, although it may not be enough to convince some cardholders to keep their Platinum card.
Search