Why Toggle Buttons Should Never Look Like Action Buttons

Toggle buttons should never look like action buttons. A common mistake is to use the same color cue on them. Doing this increases visual noise and makes every toggle button look like an action button. As a result, the action button has less of a signal is harder to spot.

Not only that but using the same color cue will make active toggle states look clickable when they aren’t. An active toggle state should only signify the selected option. But when it uses the same cue as an action button, it causes users to click the active state by mistake. They think the button will perform an action when it’s only indicating option selection.

Toggle and action buttons need different cues, or users will misperceive their affordances. The difference in cues tells users that they can expect different affordances when they interact with them. It’ll also reduce visual noise and make action buttons easier to recognize. Toggle states will appear active without misleading users.

Learn the Design Details

Knowing what to do isn’t enough. You also need to know how to do it. How do you design toggle buttons correctly? What design techniques should you use? Subscribe to learn the design details in the premium article.

Learn Design Details