Toggles Considered Harmful

Marcin Wichary's post highlights a common issue with macOS dialog boxes that employ boolean toggles displayed in four different shades of gray. The author argues that these toggles are inherently flawed as user interface controls and should be avoided altogether. Toggles were introduced on iOS, likely due to their tactile feel and resemblance to physical switches on touchscreens.

Apple's design philosophy valued this skeuomorphic approach, which made sense in the physical world where mechanical affordances were present. However, in the digital realm, toggles often lack clear indicators of their current state, causing confusion. The original screenshot provided by Marcin demonstrates this issue, where it's unclear whether the toggle is in the on or off position.

To resolve this UI problem, it's recommended to use a control whose state is immediately apparent. For those interested in reading more, the author suggests purchasing their second edition book, "Designed for Use: Create Usable Interfaces for Applications and the Web," available in various formats.