A toggle is a switch that can be set to one or the other of two states, often used in technology, computing, programming, and communications to allow users to change settings. The word can also be a verb, meaning to change back and forth between two options or modes, such as toggling between the baseball game and news in a streaming video chat with friends.
Toggles are great for providing a user with control over their experience. They can be helpful for things like managing lighting or background noise during a video call, choosing the default font and colors in a document or app, or even changing the default screen orientation on a mobile device. In addition, toggles can help us keep our user interface (UI) clean and uncluttered.
However, there are some pitfalls that we should avoid when using toggles. Firstly, we should use them sparingly. When we do, we should make sure that it’s clear to the user what the current state is. This can be done by providing a clear label and using a high-contrast color to indicate the current state. In addition, we should take into account the WCAG guidelines about not relying solely on color to convey information and consider any societal or cultural implications of our choice of colors.
Another issue we should be aware of is the fact that toggles can be cognitively difficult for users to understand. When a toggle is positioned on the wrong side of a spectrum, or has a confusing label, this can cause confusion and lead to poor user experiences. For example, if we use the color red to signify “on” it can be difficult for users who are color blind or have other cognitive issues to understand what the current state is. In these cases, we should try to find other ways to indicate the current state of a feature such as adding a text label or using a more intuitive icon.
Lastly, we should be careful about using toggles to implement features that aren’t ready for production. Typically, we would write these features on code branches and go through a long testing and QA process before integrating them into trunk code. Using feature toggles allows dev teams to write new features while keeping them hidden until they’re ready to be merged into trunk code. This is a key element in supporting agile development processes and can be a great way to improve the quality of software without sacrificing speed.
Savvy teams view the number of toggles in their codebase as inventory that comes with a carrying cost and they seek to keep it low by pruning idle toggles as soon as they’re no longer needed. This can be done by adding a toggle removal task to the team’s backlog or building this process into their management platform. In extreme cases, some teams even put “expiration dates” on their toggles to ensure that they’re removed once they are no longer required.
