Comments on: The Two Button Problem https://frontendmasters.com/blog/the-two-button-problem/ Helping Your Journey to Senior Developer Mon, 03 Nov 2025 19:02:05 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 By: Chris Coyier https://frontendmasters.com/blog/the-two-button-problem/#comment-45878 Mon, 03 Nov 2025 19:02:05 +0000 https://frontendmasters.com/blog/?p=7422#comment-45878 Just as a bit of bonus information, if I revisited the screen of the first screenshot recently and took a guess about which one was active. I figured it would be the white-outline version somehow. Nope, I was wrong, it’s the filled-in blue style that means active.

]]> By: Adrian Roselli https://frontendmasters.com/blog/the-two-button-problem/#comment-45141 Mon, 27 Oct 2025 14:11:33 +0000 https://frontendmasters.com/blog/?p=7422#comment-45141 You would not use aria-selected on buttons (it’s not allowed on them). For buttons you would use aria-pressed. In the case of exclusive buttons (like a toggle), the author could lean on aria-pressed to indicate the selected (by the user or by default) button.

For the opening example (a Paramount screen upselling its sports plan with one button labeled “Try it free” in white on light blue and another labeled “sign in” in white on a transparent background but with a white border), a blind screen reader user would hear which has focus. The sighted user, to your point, would need focus styles. Personally, I’m a fan of the giant honkin’ arrow.

]]> By: Bill Heigh https://frontendmasters.com/blog/the-two-button-problem/#comment-44980 Sat, 25 Oct 2025 18:18:52 +0000 https://frontendmasters.com/blog/?p=7422#comment-44980 Excellent point Chris! I’ve experienced this many times, and I like that you not only pointed the (maybe not so) obvious issue, but also gave some suggestions to avoid the ambiguity in the UI/UX arena to developers everywhere.

]]> By: Vinay Thoke https://frontendmasters.com/blog/the-two-button-problem/#comment-44882 Fri, 24 Oct 2025 17:38:17 +0000 https://frontendmasters.com/blog/?p=7422#comment-44882 The light/dark mode switches. Should they show the current state or the intent?

]]> By: Brian M https://frontendmasters.com/blog/the-two-button-problem/#comment-44719 Wed, 22 Oct 2025 20:14:51 +0000 https://frontendmasters.com/blog/?p=7422#comment-44719 Yes this design issue is as old as GUI software (if not older!).
The other classic example is the toggle switch as seen in many cookie option pages, does it mean its off or slide to switch off – Although that is probably viewed as a design success as it confuses the user!

Same with indicators is green on (go) or is red on (danger).

Same is also seen in the real world objects can never remember the power switch symbol o is on or is it off?

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