Making the most of Buttons UI Design – Tips, states, usability, and inspiration

Button – is a graphical user interface (GUI) element used to initiate an action or process. By having a distinctive visual appearance, buttons help to navigate users through an interface, execute commands, or to commit forms.

Designing buttons that work well requires taking into consideration the style, feedback, and accessibility. The design goal should be to make the them as intuitive as possible so the user can interact with Buttons seamlessly.

By the end of this post, you will have a better understanding of buttons UI design process and how to create user-friendly controls which are aesthetically pleasing.

So let's get started!

States are important for providing feedback to users about the current status of a button. By providing visual cues, users can quickly and easily identify the purpose and state of a control, and interact with it accordingly.

1. Default: This is the idle state of a button. It is usually displayed in its normal appearance and can be used to initiate an action.
2. Hover: A state activates when the user moves the cursor over the button. It is usually shown with a different BG, to indicate the button can be interacted with.
3. Active: Refers to the appearance of a button when it is interacted with by a user. When active, the button usually turns brighter or darker to distinguish clearly.
4. Focused: When a user clicks a button, it is toggling to be in an "active" state. This is usually shown by a bold outline to indicate that the button is in use.
5. Disabled: A state of a button when it is not currently available for interaction. Mainly displayed with a shaded appearance and the button cannot be clicked.
6. Loading: Used when a button is in the process of performing an action. Such a button contains a spinning loading icon, to indicate the loading state.

The purpose of using buttons with only an icon is to provide an easily accessible way to trigger a common and distinct in-app flow. For example, in Material Design, a Floating Action Button (FAB) is used to quickly initiate a primary action on a page.

FABs are typically a circle or square that is placed in a prominent location to make it stand out on the page. When clicked, it will typically trigger a frequent to use action such as creating a new item or initiating a new process, user flow, etc.

By using different styles of buttons, UI designers can communicate different messages to in-app users and create an intuitive flow through the user interface. There are four different kinds of buttons that you should know about:

1. Text Only or Link Button: Is simply text-based, without any visual elements. Use for actions that don't require full attention, such as "Cancel" or "Done".
   
   
2. Contained or Filled Button: Is typically filled in with a solid color and can contain a text label, an icon, or both. They usually indicate an important action, such as "Submit" or "Save".
   
   
3. Outlined or Ghost Button: is similar to contained BTN, but is outlined with a color or a border. Utilize it to indicate a lower-priority action or a secondary option.
   
   
4. Shaded or Tint Button: has a half-transparent color overlay. This type is used to indicate a less important action when placed together with Contained Button.

Gradients are often used to create visual continuity with important elements in the UI, providing cohesion. By adding a gradient to the button background, a designer can help create a sense of movement and direction in an app, maintain a visual cue to the user.

Used properly and consistently, gradients can help create a visually pleasing and brandy theme for a button UI design.

A button should be designed to be accessible to all users, regardless of their physical or mental abilities. Accessibility aspects to consider when designing a button include:

• Size of the button should be large enough to be easily located and interacted with using a finger or a pointing device.

• Contrast between the text and background colors should be clear and easy to read for users with various visual impairments.

• Labeling should be clear, concise, and descriptive so that anyone can understand what the button does.

• Keyboard. The button should be keyboard accessible so users can use hot keys to interact with it.

• Focus indicator should be utilized when the button is activated to easily identify the triggered element.

• Sound might be assigned to the button when a user initiates a tap/click to additionally notify when a control is triggered.

• Touch spot of the button should be enough to sustain a clear interaction on any kind of touchscreens.

A notification badge placed over a button in UI design is a user-friendly way to attract a sight to an action or item that requires a user's attention. Used to highlight the importance of new events, available updates, or a reminder.

When a badge pops in, it clearly indicates that an action needs to be taken, and it encourages the user to take the necessary action.

Primary and secondary buttons are often used together in app design to provide a visual hierarchy. By implementing such an approach, you help your users to quickly identify and understand which action is most important.

Primary buttons are used to indicate the main action the user should take. They are usually more prominent and colored differently to stand out.

Secondary buttons are used for less important functions, e.g "Cancel" or "Help." Placed together with primary, secondary buttons should be less visible to indicate their lower importance.

By using different background fill, transparency and border, primary and secondary buttons as a combination can help users quickly identify the most valuable action they need to take on a page, or application.

Designing an effective button requires a balance between aesthetics, usability, and functionality. A button should be easy to identify, have a clear purpose, and be visually appealing. Consider utilizing the size, shape, color, and shadow to create an intuitive and successful design for a Button.