TLDR Design · MISCELLANEOUS

HIDDEN VS. DISABLED IN UX

linkedin.com4 min read

Summary from the TLDR Design newsletter

Keeping features hidden harms discoverability, while disabling them without explanation frustrates users. Turning off a feature is a good idea if you want the user to understand that the feature exists but is unavailable. By contrast, hide elements when the value is irrelevant and can't be used. Don't hide buttons and filters by default, because users expect them to persist.