Tooltips
Tooltips are small, informative messages or hints that appear when users hover over an element with their cursor or touch it on touch-enabled devices. They provide additional contextual information or explanatory text about the element, helping users understand its purpose or functionality.
Followed by 46 others
Recommended resources
Courses
Course
UX Design Foundations
Learn the essentials of UX design to build a strong foundation in core principles. Gain practical skills to support product development and create better user experiences.
Course
Design Terminology
Learn UX terminology and key UX/UI terms that boost collaboration between designers, developers, and stakeholders for smoother, clearer communication.
Course
UI Components I
Learn to create user-friendly interfaces using core UI components, building a solid foundation for designing intuitive and efficient digital products.
Course
Color Psychology
Learn how color influences perception, emotion, and behavior. Discover how to apply color psychology to design more impactful and engaging experiences.
Course
Common Design Patterns
Learn design patterns most valued in product development to create intuitive, visually compelling experiences that seamlessly blend form and function.
Course
Accessibility Foundations
Learn the fundamentals of digital accessibility and how to create inclusive experiences for all users. Explore key principles, tools, and best practices.
Course
Wireframing
Learn to create effective wireframes that seamlessly integrate into your design workflows, improving communication and driving better design outcomes.
Course
UI Components II
Learn advanced techniques to design dynamic, scalable interfaces using optimized UI components and streamlined navigation for better user experiences.
Course
Design Composition
Learn the fundamental principles of visual layout, balance, and structure to create compelling and effective design compositions that engage and intrigue users.
Course
Mobile Design
Learn mobile UI/UX patterns, workflows, and platform-specific strategies to create exceptional, user-friendly mobile experiences across different devices.
Course
Typography
Learn typography fundamentals, from typeface and font selection to layout and spatial arrangement, to create captivating designs that communicate powerfully.
Course
UX Design Patterns with Checklist Design
Learn common UX design patterns and how to apply them with practical checklists, ensuring the creation of intuitive, user-friendly, and exceptional interfaces.
Course
HTML Foundations
Learn the fundamentals of HTML, from basic formatting and structure to advanced elements and best practices, to create accessible and responsive web pages.
Course
Enhancing UX Workflow with AI
Learn how to integrate AI into UX design to create smarter, more personalized user experiences. Explore tools, trends, and best practices in AI-driven design.
Course
CSS Foundations
Learn the basics of CSS, including the box model, element style, and content positioning, to improve communication, design handoff, and web decision-making.
Course
Introduction to Figma
Learn essential Figma tools like layers, styling, typography, and images. Master the basics to create clean, user-friendly designs
Course
3D Design Foundations
Learn essential 3D design principles, from spatial thinking and dimensional relationships to form, lighting, and texture, for a solid foundation in the field.
Course
Information Architecture
Learn the basics of organizing, structuring, and labeling content to design clear, user-friendly information systems that enhance usability and navigation.
Course
Apple Human Interface Guidelines
Learn Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines to design modern, high-performing apps, focusing on UI principles and best practices for creating effective interfaces.
Course
Introduction to Design Audits
Learn the art of systematic design evaluation to improve consistency, effectiveness, and create more user-centered products that meet user expectations.
Lessons
FAQs
What are tooltips?
Tooltips are small, contextual pop-up messages that appear when a user hovers over or clicks on an element, such as a button, icon, or link, in a user interface. They provide additional information, explanations, or descriptions about the element, offering users helpful hints or guidance without cluttering the main interface.
How are tooltips beneficial?
Tooltips offer several benefits to both users and designers:
- Enhanced user experience: Tooltips provide users with relevant and concise information at the moment they need it, reducing confusion and improving usability.
- Space optimization: By using tooltips to convey additional details, designers can avoid cluttering the interface with excessive text or labels, maintaining a clean and visually appealing design.
- Accessibility: Tooltips can be especially useful for users with visual impairments, as they provide supplementary information that may not be immediately apparent through visuals alone.
- Onboarding and learning: Tooltips can assist users in learning how to interact with new or complex features, making the onboarding process smoother.
What are some best practices for designing effective tooltips?
Designers should follow these best practices to ensure tooltips are useful and user-friendly:
- Concise content: Keep tooltip text brief and to the point, providing only essential information that complements the primary content.
- Placement and visibility: Position tooltips close to the element they refer to and ensure they are easily visible, avoiding overlap with other elements or the mouse cursor.
- Trigger timing: Set an appropriate delay before displaying tooltips to prevent them from appearing too quickly and interrupting user interactions unintentionally.
- Mobile considerations: On touch devices, implement tooltips that appear on tap or long-press instead of hover, and ensure they don't obscure important content on smaller screens.
- Design consistency: Maintain a consistent style and appearance for tooltips to create a cohesive user experience throughout the interface.
Learn more about designing tooltips in our Intro to Tooltips lesson.