A toggle is a switch that allows for the activation or deactivation of a function. They can be found in everyday technology such as phones, computers and tablets. They can also be used to create user interfaces in applications.

While toggles are not a new concept, they have gained popularity in the last few years due to their simplicity and usability. They are a simple and effective solution for many use cases where users want to enable or disable features.

When designing a toggle, there are some key things to keep in mind. First, it’s important to think about what kind of user experience the toggle is meant to provide. For example, if you are using a toggle to let users choose between two modes of an application, you’ll want the toggle to clearly indicate which mode they are currently in. To accomplish this, you’ll need to utilize visual cues such as a different color or an animated transition when switching between the two modes.

In addition to visual cues, you’ll also need to ensure that the toggle is easy to understand. This can be accomplished by making sure the label for the toggle is clear and concise. Depending on your audience, you might want to consider incorporating a directional arrow or icon to help users know which direction the toggle is going.

The toggle should also be clear about what the behavior of the feature will be when it’s activated. For example, if you are using the toggle to allow users to change between light and dark themes, the label should make it clear that when the toggle is activated, the theme will be applied to all pages of the application.

Another important consideration when designing a toggle is how the toggle is configured in the codebase. There are a number of ways that you can configure a toggle, ranging from the simple (commenting with a preprocessor’s #ifdef feature) to highly complex decision trees and algorithms that act upon a wide range of variables. For this reason, it’s essential that you have a system for managing the configuration of your toggles that can be easily adapted as your product evolves.

Finally, be sure that you have a process for vetting whether a toggle is the best way to solve a problem and a mechanism for retiring old ones. Leaving idle toggles in your code increases management overhead and can lead to technical debt over time. Luckily, most feature flag management platforms such as Kameleoon include tools for helping you prune old and unwanted toggles so that you can reduce your technical debt without impacting the functionality of your product.