dragoon0x CANON · Interaction Design
Every interactive element has 6 visual states. Most AI-generated UIs ship 1 or 2. The states below are the contract between the user and the interface.
The Six States
Every button, link, input, and control must have:
| State | Trigger | Visual change |
|---|---|---|
| Default | Idle | Base appearance |
| Hover | Pointer over (desktop only) | Slight elevation, color shift, or underline |
| Focus | Keyboard tab or click | Ring (2–3px) outside the element |
| Active | Pressed but not released | Slight scale-down or color darken |
| Disabled | Cannot interact | 50% opacity OR muted color, no pointer events |
| Loading | In-flight | Spinner, skeleton, or progress |
For inputs, add a 7th: Error. For toggles, add Selected.
Focus Rings (WCAG 2.4.7, 2.4.13)
:focus-visible {
outline: 2px solid var(--color-focus);
outline-offset: 2px;
}
/* Never remove focus without replacement */
:focus { outline: none; } /* alone: WCAG violation */
:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid; } /* together: OK */
| Property | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ring width | 2–3px | Visible at all zoom levels |
| Ring offset | 2px | Separates ring from element |
| Ring color | Brand accent or --color-focus |
Must hit 3:1 against adjacent surface |
| Ring style | solid |
dotted/dashed are harder to see |
Use :focus-visible, not :focus. This shows the ring for keyboard users but suppresses it for mouse clicks, which feels right.
Hover
| Element | Hover treatment |
|---|---|
| Button | Background color one step darker (-4 to -8% L) |
| Link (text) | Underline appears OR color one step darker |
| Card (clickable) | Subtle elevation (shadow + 1–2px translateY) |
| Icon button | Background appears (transparent → 8% surface) |
| Input | Border color one step darker |
| Row in table/list | Background appears (transparent → 4% surface) |
Never make hover the only signal of interactivity. Touch users have no hover. Cursor and color shift together.
Active (Pressed)
button:active {
transform: scale(0.98);
transition: transform 100ms var(--ease-out);
}
A 2% scale-down for 100ms feels like a real button press. Pair with a slight color darken.
For larger surfaces (cards, tiles), use a faster opacity dip instead of scale.
Disabled
button:disabled,
button[aria-disabled="true"] {
opacity: 0.5;
cursor: not-allowed;
pointer-events: none;
}
| Approach | When |
|---|---|
disabled attribute |
Form controls (button, input) |
aria-disabled="true" |
Custom controls; allows focus for screen readers |
opacity: 0.5 |
Visual signal |
cursor: not-allowed |
Affordance |
Anti-pattern: hiding disabled instead of disabling. Users need to see the action exists but isn't available, plus a hint why.
Loading
| Wait time | Pattern |
|---|---|
| < 400ms | Show nothing (perceived as instant) |
| 400ms–1s | Spinner appears at 400ms |
| 1s–10s | Determinate progress bar |
| > 10s | Progress bar + status message + estimated time |
Inline loading (within the button that triggered it) keeps focus context. Replace label with spinner; keep button width fixed to prevent layout shift.
<button disabled>
<span class="spinner" aria-hidden="true"></span>
<span class="sr-only">Saving...</span>
</button>
Keyboard Navigation
Required Bindings
| Key | Action | Source |
|---|---|---|
Tab |
Next focusable element | Browser default |
Shift+Tab |
Previous focusable element | Browser default |
Enter |
Activate button, submit form | WAI-ARIA |
Space |
Activate button, toggle checkbox | WAI-ARIA |
Esc |
Close modal, dismiss popover | WAI-ARIA Modal pattern |
Arrow keys |
Navigate within composite widgets (menu, tabs, listbox, slider) | WAI-ARIA |
Home/End |
First/last in a list | WAI-ARIA |
Tab Order
Tab order follows DOM order. If tab order needs to differ from visual order, the design is wrong (re-order DOM, don't use tabindex to fix).
tabindex value |
Use |
|---|---|
0 |
Insert into natural tab order |
-1 |
Make focusable programmatically (e.g., for a focus trap) |
| Positive numbers | Never. Anti-pattern. |
Focus Trap
Modals trap focus inside the modal. Tabbing past the last element loops to the first. Esc closes the modal and restores focus to the trigger.
Click Targets
| Context | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Mobile (touch) | 44 × 44 px (WCAG 2.5.5 AAA) |
| Mobile (touch, AA floor) | 24 × 24 px (WCAG 2.5.8) |
| Desktop (mouse) | 24 × 24 px |
| Spacing between adjacent targets | 8px minimum |
Rule: visual size can be smaller, but the tappable area must meet the floor. Use padding or absolute-positioned ::before to extend.
.icon-button {
width: 24px;
height: 24px;
position: relative;
}
.icon-button::before {
content: "";
position: absolute;
inset: -10px; /* extends tap area to 44x44 */
}
Cursor
| Element | Cursor |
|---|---|
| Button, link | pointer |
| Input (text) | text (default) |
| Disabled | not-allowed |
| Drag handle | grab / grabbing |
| Resize handle | ns-resize, ew-resize, etc |
| Loading | wait or progress |
| Help available | help |
Don't add cursor: pointer to non-interactive elements. It signals interactivity that isn't there.
Drag and Drop
If you implement drag-and-drop, you must also implement keyboard alternatives. Pure DnD is an accessibility failure.
<!-- Each draggable item has keyboard controls -->
<li role="listitem" tabindex="0" aria-grabbed="false">
<button aria-label="Move up">↑</button>
<button aria-label="Move down">↓</button>
</li>
Long-Press, Right-Click, Hover-Reveal
These are enhancements, never the only path. Every action available via long-press, right-click, or hover must also be available via a visible button or menu.
Anti-Patterns
| Anti-pattern | Why it fails | Fix |
|---|---|---|
outline: none without replacement |
Keyboard users can't see focus | Use :focus-visible with custom ring |
| Hover as only interactivity signal | Touch users get nothing | Add color/cursor change |
| Disabled state with no explanation | User stuck | Add tooltip or message |
| Hidden disabled buttons | User can't see what's possible | Show as disabled |
| 16×16 close button on mobile | Below touch target | Pad to 44×44 |
cursor: pointer on non-interactive divs |
Lies about interactivity | Remove |
| Loading spinner appears at 0ms | Perceived as slow | Delay 400ms |
| No keyboard equivalent for drag-drop | Accessibility failure | Add buttons or arrow-key nav |
| Modal that doesn't trap focus | Tab escapes the modal | Implement focus trap |
| Modal that doesn't return focus | User loses position | Restore focus to trigger on close |
tabindex="5" |
Breaks natural order | Use tabindex="0" and re-order DOM |
| Right-click as only path | Mobile users locked out | Add visible menu button |
| Tooltips on hover only | Mobile and keyboard users miss them | Show on focus too |
Decision Tree
Adding interactive element?
├─ Define all 6 states (default, hover, focus, active, disabled, loading)
├─ Tappable area >= 44px? If visual is smaller, extend with padding.
├─ Keyboard accessible? Tab reaches it, Enter/Space activates it.
├─ Focus ring uses :focus-visible, 2-3px solid, 2px offset, 3:1 contrast?
├─ Hover changes both color AND cursor?
├─ Disabled visible (not hidden) with explanation?
└─ Loading delayed 400ms? Acknowledged on completion?
Audit Checklist
- Click every button without a mouse. Tab through the page. Every focusable element shows a visible ring.
- Search for
outline: none. Each occurrence paired with:focus-visible? - Hover every interactive element. Color, cursor, or position changes?
- Press every button. Active state visible?
- Find every disabled state. Visible? Explained? Not hidden?
- Find every loading state. Delayed 400ms? Acknowledged?
- Open every modal. Focus trapped? Esc closes? Focus restored on close?
- Check tap targets on mobile. All >= 44×44?
- Find every drag-drop. Keyboard alternative present?
- Find every hover-only tooltip. Also shows on focus?
Citations
- WCAG 2.2 Focus Visible: https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/focus-visible.html
- WCAG 2.2 Focus Not Obscured: https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/focus-not-obscured-minimum.html
- WCAG 2.2 Target Size: https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/target-size-minimum.html
- WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices: https://www.w3.org/WAI/ARIA/apg/
- Apple HIG Inputs: https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/inputs
- Material Design States: https://m3.material.io/foundations/interaction/states/overview