TLDR Design · MISCELLANEOUS

HIDDEN VS. DISABLED IN UX

smashingmagazine.com5 min read

Summary from the TLDR Design newsletter

Both hiding and disabling features in UX can confuse users, so they should be done sparingly and with clear reasoning. Disabled features indicate availability but inaccessibility, while hidden features indicate current irrelevance. Alternatives like enabled buttons, read-only states, and better empty states should be considered to maintain user understanding and interface clarity.