Designing Usable Toggle Switches: Applying UX Research Insights
Common Pitfalls and Confusion Points in Toggle Design
Imagine the following scenario: you're settling into your cozy living room after a long day, reaching out to flick the switch of a floor lamp casting a warm glow across the room. This simple, satisfying mechanical switch seamlessly controls the lamp's on/off states. While a common daily interaction, the physical switch provides insights into effective toggle design in digital interfaces. Though a commonplace experience, it illuminates (pun intended!) the foundational principles that guide the design and use of toggle switches in digital interfaces.
Toggle Switches in Real and Digital Worlds
As seen in the example above, the essence of a toggle switch is embedded in its binary nature - it’s either on or off. This binary functionality is as prevalent in our physical world as it is in digital user interfaces. In UX design, toggles are employed to enable users to switch between two distinct states, enhancing the user's control over their interactive experiences.
Despite their simplicity, toggles in UX can be a minefield of misinterpretation if not designed with thoughtful consideration. The user's expectations, based on their experiences with the physical world, become the unspoken standard against which the digital toggle is measured. A mismatch in this expectation can lead to a confused user and a disrupted user experience.
A recent study by Al-Jasim and Murano used a mixed-methods study to explore toggle switch design. Their findings provide evidence-based guidance for UX practitioners on creating intuitive, unambiguous toggles. This article summarises their research and key learnings.
Toggle Design Research
Al-Jasim and Murano conducted an empirical evaluation using 18 toggle switch prototypes across 9 cases or scenarios. 20 participants interacted with the prototypes and rated their preferences.
The study collected both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitatively, the researchers measured the success rate for users correctly understanding the initial state of each toggle design. Qualitatively, they gathered user opinions through preference ratings and open-ended feedback.
The study revealed several problematic toggle designs that caused confusion for users:
Toggles without immediate feedback upon state change. Most users expect to see results instantly when clicking a toggle.
Non-standard labels like "Yes/No" or "1/0" instead of conventional "On/Off." These unfamiliar labels were not easily understood by all users.
No distinct on-state colour or positioning toggles with on-state on the left. This contradicted user expectations.
A single state label instead of persistent labels for both "On" and "Off." Users preferred the clarity of seeing both potential states.
Using toggles for confirming yes/no questions or multiple related options. Users found these contexts better suited to radio buttons or checkboxes.
Negative or ambiguous toggle text like "Disable email notifications." Concise, positive wording was preferred.
Defaulting toggles to an on or selected state before user input. This introduced ambiguity around the initial status of the switch.
UX Best Practices for Toggle Switches
Based on the previous research findings, here is a list of evidence-based best practices we can keep in mind when designing toggle switches:
Toggle switches should produce an immediate effect when clicked, without requiring additional saving or submission actions from the user. Provide immediate visual feedback when the toggle state changes.
Use clear "On/Off" labels that directly state the action. Avoid unfamiliar terms or asking questions. Descriptive labels for toggles should clearly indicate the system state triggered when the toggle is switched on.
Use colour appropriately. Make "On" green or blue, and position it on the right side1. Avoid red for on-states as this can violate user expectations.
Even if one state is selected, display persistent "On" and "Off" labels to reduce cognitive load for the user.
If you have yes/no or multiple options, use radio buttons or checkboxes instead of toggles.
When it comes to labels, write short, positive toggle text like "Email Notifications" instead of negatives.
Default to off or unselected states before any user input.
Well-designed toggle switches are an important component of overall UX. Though conceptually simple binary controls, effective implementation of digital toggles requires careful attention to research-based design principles. Studies such as Al-Jasim and Murano's empirical examination of toggle switch usability provide insights that we can integrate into our process.
Do you have any tips to share on toggle switch design? Please share them in the comments!
This might need additional testing depending on the country your users are based on.