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UI Control Guidelines

A collection of detailed guidelines about User Interface (UI) controls. Buttons, links, accordions, menus, and more! Covers all Balsamiq controls. By UX expert Tess Gadd.

Button Guidelines

Buttons are common elements of every interface and are used to execute an action. It must be apparent what that action will be, to avoid any mistakes or confusion.

By Tess Gadd

Text Input Guidelines

Text input fields allow keyboard input from the user. They are frequently used with other types of input controls in a form, but can be used on their own.

By Tess Gadd

Dropdown Menu (Combo Box) Guidelines

A Dropdown menu (or Combo Box, Pull Down menu, Picker) gives you a list of items to select from. It’s a common element in forms, setting pages, and quizzes.

By Tess Gadd

Radio Button Guidelines

Radio button controls allow users to select items from a list when only a single selection is valid. Find out when you should use them and some best practices.

By Tess Gadd

Checkbox Guidelines

Checkbox controls allow users to select items from a list when multiple selections are valid. Read more for tips, best practices, and different use cases.

By Tess Gadd

On/Off Switch Guidelines

On/off switches are great for settings areas, but you should avoid using them in forms. Read on for more information about toggle switches and best practices.

By Tess Gadd

Numeric Stepper Guidelines

A numeric stepper is a UI control that works well for clicking through numbers with a small value. For anything higher than 10 you should use a different control.

By Tess Gadd

Slider Guidelines

With a slider you can graphically see you selection relative to the minimum and maximum options. For a tiny control, there are a lot of best practices to know!

By Tess Gadd

Link Guidelines

Links are a very versatile control. You can use them for your primary navigation, for navigating through a page, to bring users to a more detailed page, and more!

By Tess Gadd

Breadcrumb Guidelines

Breadcrumbs are a chain of links used on websites with hierarchical navigation. They allow users to orientate themselves as they move throughout the platform.

By Tess Gadd

Tab Guidelines

Tabs are a form of navigation that allows users to move between different subsections of a page. You can use them to group information and as category filter.

By Tess Gadd

Accordion Guidelines

You can use accordions for 2 primary uses: to show and hide information, and to navigate. Remember to only put non-critical information inside this type of control.

By Tess Gadd

Tree Pane Guidelines

Tree Panes are a great option when there are multiple levels of navigation or many navigation categories. They should sit on the left of the screen and show nesting.

By Tess Gadd

App Bar Guidelines

An app bar helps users navigate through a website or an app on smaller devices. It could have the form of a hamburger menu, a dropdown menu, or a kebab menu.

By Tess Gadd

Menu Bar and Menu Guidelines

Menus contain links and buttons that help you navigate to different pages and features. Choosing what goes in the menu can be critical for your users' experience.

By Tess Gadd

List Guidelines

Lists contain rows of text, which allow for easy scanning. You can use them for static display, to preview a content, or to help users with navigation.

By Tess Gadd

Text Guidelines

Text guides users along their desired journey on your website or app through input labels, page titles, body copy, feedback messages, and more.

By Tess Gadd

Scrollbar Guidelines

Scrollbars are used when there is more content than can fit on a screen or in a container. The most common types are used for long web pages and maps.

By Tess Gadd

Rule Guidelines

Rules are an aesthetic tool used to divide areas and content. You can use them to separate sections on a page or item in a list, or to create visual contrast.

By Tess Gadd

Splitter Guidelines

Splitters are a practical solution for screens without enough space. They allow users to arrange their workspace and focus on their current task.

By Tess Gadd

iOS Control Guidelines

When designing for mobile, you need to consider the operating system. iOS for iPhone and iPad has its own style when it comes to user interface controls.

By Tess Gadd

Annotation Guidelines

Annotations are critical to convey information that is not visible in your wireframes. They should explain how things work, the user journey, and edge cases.

By Tess Gadd

Alert Dialog Guidelines

Operating systems communicate through pop-up messages for asking permission, for destruction confirmations, for system problems, or other notifications.

By Tess Gadd

Progress Bar Guidelines

Progress bars let the user know that a page or component is busy loading. Without this little UI control they may think that the system has frozen or is broken.

By Tess Gadd

Chart Guidelines

Charts show data in an easy-to-understand graphic. They can be pie charts, line charts, bar charts, column charts, or dashboards — each with its own peculiarities.

By Tess Gadd

Cover Flow Guidelines

Cover flow lets the user scroll through content. It works best with large amounts of visual content, while it’s less helpful with folders or other file types.

By Tess Gadd

Special Picker Guidelines

Use a special picker in your wireframes when you want the user to be able to select a time or a date. It’s also used to identify or assign a color to an object.

By Tess Gadd

Device and Browser Guidelines

You may need to wireframe your digital product for mobile phones, tablets, or as a web app. There are differences in those devices and apps you should be aware of.

By Tess Gadd

Icon Guidelines

Almost every interface design uses icons to communicate with the user. They can be used for navigation, as a toggle, to give feedback, to assign a like, and more!

By Tess Gadd

Audio and Video Player Guidelines

How to design audio and video players for your digital product’s user interface. Don’t forget to add accessibility features like subtitles and closed captions.

By Tess Gadd

Image Guidelines

How to use images in your wireframes and all their use case scenarios: from hero image to company logo, profile pictures, featured images, covers, and more.

By Tess Gadd

Map Guidelines

A map in a UI can be used for directions to a location or searching for places. The controls you need to use when designing one are pretty standard nowadays.

By Tess Gadd

Camera Guidelines

If you have to add a camera to your UI, here are all the elements you need for your wireframes: for taking a photo or a video, for a video call or live recording.

By Tess Gadd

Text Editor Guidelines

To format their text and better convey their message, users need a text editor with the most common text styling features available, like bold and italics.

By Tess Gadd

Shape Guidelines

In wireframes you can use shapes for different reasons; rectangles are often used as containers, circles for buttons, diamonds as steps in a flow diagram, etc.

By Tess Gadd

Tooltip and Popover Guidelines

Tooltips and popovers in user interface wireframes help your users complete a task or learn more about something. Find out the best practices on how to use them.

By Tess Gadd

Table and Data Grid Guidelines

How to design data tables: different styles (zebra stripes, free-form, ruled grid / rows / columns), common cell types, tables on mobile, and best practices.

By Tess Gadd

Site Map Guidelines

A site map is a high-level overview of a product’s navigational structure. It has a vertical or horizontal hierarchy and can be also used as index in a wireframe.

By Tess Gadd

Pop-up, Modal, and Lightbox Guidelines

Pop-ups usually display marketing messages. Modals are activated by the user. Lightboxes are used to enlarge images. All of them pop up onto the user’s screen.

By Tess Gadd

Field Set Guidelines

The most common use for a field set is as a container component. It can house different elements and symbols to improve the page’s hierarchy and the user’s flow.

By Tess Gadd