A toggle is a user interface component that allows users to update settings, views or other types of information. The design of a toggle is simple: it usually has an icon that clearly communicates its purpose and updates its appearance (either by using a different color or by adding a textual description) based on its state. Toggles are often used as a way to control features that may not be ready for production, or to test new functionality on a small subset of the audience.
As a general rule of thumb, toggles should always have clear labels to avoid any confusion around what the feature does or what its current state is. In addition to providing direct labels it’s important to consider the societal and cultural implications of the color choices when designing a toggle: for example, many users will find green “on” and red “off” confusing if they are used in the same context, as these colors have historically been associated with stop signs and traffic lights. It’s also worth noting that users with color vision deficiencies will have additional challenges when designers use red as the toggle state indicator, so ideally, we should always include an alternative, more accessible option.
While a static file approach is suitable for small number of toggles, as the number of toggles increases this becomes less feasible. Moreover, modifying the toggle configuration via static code is not very flexible and prone to errors. As a result many teams choose to move their toggle configuration into some type of centralized store, usually an existing application DB. Typically this is accompanied by some form of admin UI which can be used to manage the toggles.
Once a team is comfortable with the toggle configuration it’s wise to perform some testing. Specifically, it’s important to test the toggle configuration that is expected to go live in production (with any toggles which are being flipped On flipped off) and also to test the fallback configuration with all toggles flipped off. This provides a safety net against any unexpected regressions in future releases.
Despite the potential drawbacks of feature toggles, they are an extremely powerful tool that can streamline new release processes and help gather real-time user feedback. By using best practices and being proactive, teams can mitigate the risks of feature toggles and maximize their value. So, if you’re not already using feature toggles, give them a try! You’ll be surprised at how they can change your software development process for the better.
