Why Are Facebook Comments Font So Small? An Insight into User Interface Design and Accessibility

As a frequent user of Facebook, you may have encountered the frustration of small font sizes in comment sections. This article aims to provide a comprehensive explanation of why Facebook opts for a smaller font size and explores the impact of this design choice on both user experience (UX) and accessibility.

User Interface Design and Compactness

Facebook's Clean Interface: Facebook prioritizes a clean and compact user interface to efficiently display a large amount of content within the visible area. In modern web design, the goal is to ensure that users can easily interact with the platform without feeling overwhelmed by excessive information.

Mobile Optimisation and Space Efficiency

Optimisation for Mobile Devices: Many users access Facebook on mobile devices where display space is limited. A smaller font size can help maintain readability while ensuring that more content is displayed without excessive scrolling. This optimisation enhances user experience by allowing users to quickly access and navigate through comments and posts.

Accessibility Considerations

Adjustable Text Size: While the default font size may work well for most users, some individuals may find it too small. Facebook offers accessibility options that allow users to adjust text size through their settings. This ensures that every user can customise their experience to suit their needs, enhancing overall user satisfaction.

Visual Hierarchy and Attention Guidance

Creating Visual Hierarchy: Smaller fonts for comments help distinguish them from primary content such as posts and headlines. This visual hierarchy guides user attention, making it easier to differentiate between various elements on the page. Proper visual hierarchy contributes to a more organised and user-friendly interface.

Technical Frustrations

Despite the intentional design decisions, some users experience technical frustrations. For instance, a user observed that the font size issue was related to DPI scaling. With DPI scaling at 150, the user attempted to overcome this issue by disabling display scaling on high DPI settings for Google Chrome but found that the problem persisted specifically with Facebook. This highlights how browser settings and specific platform integrations can lead to inconsistencies in user experience.

Technical Solution

Interestingly, the user revealed that the root of the problem lay in a -webkit-text-size-adjust:none hack used by Facebook. This technique ensures that the page remains impervious to browser resizing, which can improve consistency across different devices and browsers. However, this may not always align with UX best practices, particularly when it leads to frustration for users.

Further Reading

For those interested in a more technical analysis, the user provided a link to their answer on Stack Overflow, which delves into the specific technical details of the issue.

Link to the Stack Overflow Answer.

Improving the font size and user experience on Facebook is an ongoing effort that involves balancing design, functionality, and user needs. Understanding these factors can help us appreciate the complexities involved in creating user-friendly and accessible online platforms.