Toggle – Designing Toggle Switches

Toggle is a digital magazine that explores the people and ideas behind technology. We interview thought leaders, share best practices and offer insights into the challenges of managing technology in business today.

A toggle is a control that has two states (ON and OFF). It’s typically easier to use than a radio button, especially on mobile devices. However, toggles can be misinterpreted if they don’t have clear labels and state descriptors. The colors used are also important to consider, as they can have a different meaning for users based on their cultural or societal backgrounds. It’s also worth noting that color blindness and other visual disabilities may affect the way users perceive toggles.

For this reason, we recommend not using toggles in forms that require a submit button and a long processing time. Instead, we’d suggest using a simple checkbox or a dropdown menu.

When used correctly, toggles can make your application more accessible and improve user experience. However, it’s important to test your toggle designs with users and with assistive technologies.

The best way to make your toggle switches easy to understand is by writing good labels that describe what each option does. This helps the user know what they’re choosing and what state they’re in right now. It’s also important to limit the number of words in a toggle switch label. A short, direct statement is more recognizable than a long phrase. Proximity is also an important design principle to keep in mind when creating toggle switches: the closer a label is to the toggle, the more likely it will be clicked.