Learning session 36: Tooltips
Topic
Tooltips can be helpful to UX designers to provide supplemental information to users without taking up valuable space on the page. When used correctly, they can improve a website’s or web application’s usability.
What I learned
Tooltips are essential in a product because they provide a way to give the user more information about an element on the screen without taking up too much space. They can provide brief explanations of what an element does or give more detailed information about a feature. Tooltips can be used to help the user understand the product and to make the user experience more efficient and enjoyable.
Tooltip usage
If the element contains a label that informs you what that element does, there isn’t a reason to duplicate the information in a tooltip.
Tooltips are user-centered and will not show unless users interact with the components with which they are associated. Therefore avoid including information critical to the task flow in the tooltips.
Tooltip cursor
The hand pointer is an excellent choice when deciding what style of the cursor to employ in your product since it gives visual feedback, indicating which element the tooltip is for.
Tooltip alignment
From a UX perspective, it is essential to align the tooltip in the product card to be easily visible and legible to users. This will help users understand the product information more efficiently and make the overall experience more user-friendly.
Tooltip placement
Tooltips should be helpful, not annoying. A tooltip that blocks other elements or prevents access to a field or a button can irritate users, so exercise caution when positioning them. The goal of the tooltip is to be visible.
Tooltip style
When designing a tooltip, it is crucial to keep the design simple. This will help ensure that users can easily understand the information being presented.
Keeping the tooltip design simple will help users focus on the presented information rather than distracted by complex visuals.
Tooltip content
In order to use less content when designing the tooltip in the product UX design, designers can use a simple and concise design.
The tooltip should only include the most relevant and vital information for the user. Additionally, the tooltip should be easy to understand and use without overwhelming the user with too much information.
My try
What challenged me
One challenge I faced while learning about tooltips was deciding when to use them. Too many tooltips can be annoying and distracting, but not enough can make it challenging to understand what is going on in a design. I also needed help with deciding what content to put in a tooltip.
More information can overwhelm a tooltip, but more information can make it unhelpful.
Thank you for making it this far.
