A toggle is a small piece of material that is sewn to something or pushed through a loop or hole to fasten it. On computers and some other machines, a toggle is used to switch between two functions or states. For example, a toggle can be used to turn the screen on and off during a video chat with two friends at once. Toggles are less invasive than radio buttons, and they can be used for more complicated settings. However, they can also present cognitive challenges for users because they lack the text “on/off” and rely on other visual cues to indicate their state.
Moreover, toggles require careful design to avoid ambiguity and confusion. For example, it is important to use high-contrast colors for the toggle state indications. Additionally, designers should consider societal and cultural implications when selecting color and iconography for toggles.
Finally, it is critical to use descriptive labels for the toggles. This will help to ensure that the toggles are understood by all audiences. The labels should describe the option the toggle controls and the current state of that option (e.g., “No cookies” or “Allow cookies”).
Lastly, developers should use toggles as a tool for feature experimentation. By implementing new features behind a feature toggle, product teams can validate their user experience with a smaller segment of the audience before full rollout. Using this process can reduce the risk of costly product flops. Moreover, by storing feature toggles in a platform like Kameleoon, teams can manage their configuration and remove obsolete flags at runtime without code deployment.
