Ghost buttons feature a simple outline with no solid fill, paired with plain text. This minimalist approach lends itself to a variety of design contexts without ever overwhelming the viewer’s senses.
A distinct element of their design is the clear background, which allows the backdrop of the page to show through. This transparency ensures that the button can comfortably sit over diverse design elements without clashing or competing for attention.
Ghost buttons are designed to be immediately identifiable as interactive elements. Good design practices dictate that even the simplest features must convey their function at first glance. Ghost buttons achieve this through their conventional button shape and by borrowing colors from the existing palette of the web page for their outlines and text.
They are often used for secondary calls to action, complementing more prominently styled buttons without disappearing into the design.
Crafting the Perfect Ghost Button
Ghost buttons require a border that is neither too thick nor too thin. Striking the right thickness for the border is necessary because it needs to be visible enough to identify the button against various backgrounds without dominating the space it occupies. The borders typically assume the color or gradient present in the website’s palette to ensure cohesion in the overall design.
The font should be legible at a glance to communicate the button’s function. The typeface mustn’t clash with the button’s minimalist nature. Selecting a clean, sans-serif font typically complements the modern ethos that ghost buttons embody. The font weight and size must be balanced to facilitate readability, yet they must not overwhelm the button’s subtle outline.
The color should have enough contrast to be readily seen but should also tie in with the overall design scheme of the site. The button needs to stand out as a navigational element without diverting the user from the content of the site.
The tactile feel of ghost buttons must be considered for user interaction. On a desktop, this may involve fine-tuning the button’s reaction to a mouse hover, such as a slight change in border color or text weight. On touch devices, the button must respond instantly to a user’s press, with a subtle animation or a color change, thereby providing immediate feedback.
The ghost button should be strategically placed on the webpage in a way that guides the user naturally within the flow of the content. It often sits alongside poignant text or at the end of sections where a user might be inclined to seek additional information. Its placement should seem intuitive and not randomly positioned.
Its design should be tested across various devices and under different conditions to ensure it retains its clarity and functionality. This means checking visibility on different screen sizes and resolutions, as well as ensuring that it performs well against a range of background images and colors that it may overlay.
Ghost buttons should be used judiciously, placed only where a call to action aligns with the user’s interest or intent. Overuse or improper placement can dilute their effectiveness and erode the overall user experience. By thoughtfully analyzing user flows and behaviors on the website, designers can discern the optimal locations and contexts in which a ghost button can be most impactful.
Balancing Visibility and Discretion
The visibility of a ghost button is largely influenced by two factors: its contrast with the background and its alignment with the design language of the webpage. A ghost button must have a border and text color that stands out against the underlying background. The contrast should be carefully modulated to avoid excessive prominence.
Discretion can be maintained by using the same or similar font styles and colors already presented on the site. This technique ensures that the ghost button feels like a part of the page’s natural environment, increasing its likelihood of being recognized as a navigational element by users and improving their navigational experience.
A button that is too large may be distracting, while one that is too small may go unnoticed. Designers must carefully decide the size of the ghost button, keeping in mind that it should be large enough to be comfortably clicked or tapped, but small enough to avoid drawing undue attention.
The placement of the ghost button should be logically associated with the call to action it represents. A ‘Learn More’ ghost button could be placed at the end of an introductory paragraph, subtly suggesting the user can obtain additional information with a click.
Integrating ghost buttons into the user experience involves an understanding of accessibility, ensuring that they can be easily distinguished by users with visual impairments. This typically means adhering to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) contrast ratio thresholds to guarantee that the button stands out sufficiently for users who have low vision or are color blind.
Ghost Buttons and Mobile Responsiveness
Unlike the precise point of a cursor on a desktop, a touch screen is navigated by a user’s less accurate fingers. Ghost buttons on mobile platforms need to be sized suitably to accommodate the average fingertip. This implies that ghost buttons may need to be larger on a mobile screen compared to their desktop counterparts to prevent erroneous taps and to enhance the user experience.
Mobile responsiveness requires ghost buttons to have enough padding to be tapped comfortably without the risk of accidentally activating adjacent elements. The interactive area of the ghost button must be spacious enough to recognize and respond to touch accurately while maintaining the minimalist aesthetic characteristic of the ghost button.
On smaller screens, attention to the contrast ratio between the ghost button and its background becomes especially vital to ensure that the button remains noticeable. The clarity of the button’s borders and text on various mobile devices, under different lighting conditions, and against dynamic backgrounds must be tested extensively. A ghost button that is difficult to discern or read on a smaller screen will fail to serve its purpose as an actionable element.
A mobile-responsive design implies that the ghost button must scale and reposition itself appropriately for landscape and portrait orientations, as well as for the different screen dimensions across various smartphones and tablets.
Given the processing limitations of some mobile devices and the variance in internet connection speeds, the inclusion of ghost buttons must not impede the website’s performance. They must load quickly and function without delay to ensure they do not deter the fluidity of the mobile user experience.
Designers should strategically place ghost buttons at points where users might need them, such as in checkout processes, sign-up forms, or content continuations, making the transition between different actions smooth and efficient.