What are the problems with using toggle buttons instead of of tabs? I have a design where action buttons and tabs share the same row.
I have 1 row with action buttons in it. In this same row I will use tabs to display different page views. I have the option to show these tabs as traditional folder tabs or toggle buttons. Which of these 2 options is the most user friendly?
Answer
For me toggle buttons are a metaphor that was created for touch screen devices that don't transfer very well to desktop applications. They present a touch, hold and slide interaction and horizontal movement while keeping the mouse button pressed is a difficult movement to achieve.
Without using numerous toggle buttons they may also, depending on your design, struggle to portray which mode the button is on. For instance, if it were a volume on/off toggle will your design clearly show the current state without the user needing the opposite state to understand?
I think a third option you could consider is a button with an icon that represents a page view. Then when clicked a simple menu drops below with the 2 options. A 'tick' icon next to one option would indicate the current state. See my screenshot as an example.
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