The tooltip is a UI element that displays temporary additional information near its target component. They are used to provide details that do not present urgency to the user but are related to the page they are navigating.
Types of Tooltips in UI/UX Design
The anatomy of tooltips is pretty simple, as they are made up of a UI trigger button, a caret tip, and a container. Based on the purpose they serve in a design, there are three main types of tooltips:
Standard Tooltips: This is the basic type of tooltip, which provides supplementary information to users.
Icon Button Tooltips: The second type of tooltip is used to help users better understand the meaning of a button’s function or action.
Definition Tooltips: In the cases where an item or a term may be unfamiliar to most users, definition tooltips can support them by providing additional explanations.
How to Use Tooltips in UI/UX Design?
Alignment. One of the important aspects to keep in mind in the process of choosing a tooltip is the alignment of the container, which can be at the start, center, or end. It is also recommended that the caret tip and the UI trigger buttons be vertically centered to each other.
Text. The written content of a tooltip should present information relevant to the page it appears on. It is also essential that the data included in the tooltip is not mandatory for the users to read, as they might miss out on important tips if they dismiss it.
Icon Buttons. In the case of icon button tooltips, these should include a maximum of two words that describe the button’s role. Otherwise, there is a high chance of creating an overly complicated and unapproachable design.
Additional Information. The primary role of a tooltip, no matter what type it is, is to provide users with details that are not presented on the main page. This could have happened because there was a lack of enough space or simply because the content is not obligatory for all users to interact with.
User Experience. A great advantage of integrating tooltips in a design is that they can increase the user experience. This can be achieved in several ways, from giving clearer instructions to explaining certain concepts that are more abstract.
Enhancing UI. The aesthetics of a website or an app are relevant to users and to their overall success. Tooltips can help establish a visual balance in a web design.
Use the Tooltip UI Element in Your UI/UX Design With uinkits
Our uinkits system is a Figma Design System and UI Kits that include UI components that allow you, as a UI UX designer, to create your design products as quickly as pressing a button. You can find tooltips and everything you need to create the perfect product design in Figma – all in just a few clicks. All you have to do is take the UI design component you need, and you’re ready to use it in your designs!
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