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Cognitive Issues When Implementing Toggle Controls

Toggle is a user interface element that allows users to update settings, preferences and other information. However, when implementing toggles in your application or website it is important to consider the cognitive issues that can arise from using them. Toggle switches are simple to use and can improve accessibility for users with disabilities but they should be carefully implemented to ensure that the resulting user experience is good.

While it is obvious when a checkbox or radio button has been changed the ambiguity of a toggle switch can cause confusion for users. Especially since toggles do not contain text on/off but instead rely on visual cues to indicate state, picking the right color can have a significant impact on user understanding. It is recommended to avoid using the default green as the on position, and to always use a high contrast color to signal state changes. Additionally, evaluating the societal and cultural context for your users is crucial when selecting the correct color for a toggle.

In the context of software, toggles are a great tool for A/B testing and acting as circuit breakers during code deployment. They allow engineering teams to test new features with a subset of users before rolling it out to the entire population and can be used to remotely roll back features that are not receiving positive feedback.

Toggles can also be useful for allowing product managers to experiment with different versions of their applications in a live production environment. By adding the ability to switch features on/off at runtime, product teams can minimize risk and test out various feature configurations without modifying their original production code.

A toggle is an ideal control for changing system settings or preferences and a perfect fit for UIs that require the user to make an active choice such as switching airplane mode on or off. However, toggles are not suitable for more passive UIs where the option can be viewed but cannot be activated (such as social media notifications).

When designing toggles, it is important to keep the user in mind. A consistent UI style is essential for clarity and ease of use. Toggles should look like sliders and utilize visual cues to make them more intuitive for the user. Additionally, toggle labels should be descriptive and clearly communicate what the control will do if set to an on position. This will avoid any confusion for the user and also adhere to best practices for accessibility, as defined by the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines).