"Of course the ring's color will have an accessible contrast ratio when compared to the background color: No question about it, I've placed focus on the Courses link. You then need factor in things like dark and light color modes, and making sure the focus ring's color adapts: Don't forget that dark and light modes can also have child themes. For example, GitHub offers nine themes: That's a lot of themes!"
"Then, consider a hard truth of design systems work: You can't be present for every edit to every existing screen, as well as staying on top of all newly-added features and functionality. To address this issue, some people have turned to using two focus rings: One that is high enough contrast to be visible against the current mode and theme's main background color, and One that is high enough contrast to be visible against the opposite of the mode and theme's background color."
Custom focus rings must have accessible contrast against background colors. Dark and light modes and multiple child themes complicate maintaining adequate contrast. Areas within a theme can invert background and text colors, creating additional contrast cases. Design systems cannot anticipate every screen edit or new feature. A defensive approach uses two layered focus rings with opposite contrast (e.g., black and white) to ensure visibility against both current and opposite backgrounds. Layered black-and-white rings increase certainty that focus indicators remain visible. Reliable focus indication supports users' ability to identify interactive elements. The approach balances accessibility across diverse themes and unknown UI variations.
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