Signifier
The visual hint that tells you something is clickable.
Definition
A perceivable cue that communicates where and how an action can be performed.
Craft convention. True because the industry converged on it. Breaking it costs familiarity, not correctness.
On this plate
In plain language
The visual hint that tells you something is clickable.
Example
An underline on a link, a border on a button, or a drag handle on a list row.
Commonly confused with
Close neighbours that get substituted for each other. The difference is stated first, then the condition that picks one over the other.
Affordance
TermA possibility for action offered by an element, whether or not anyone notices it.
Key difference
An affordance is what an element makes possible. A signifier is the cue that tells someone it is possible. A button that works but looks like plain text has the affordance and lacks the signifier.
Use Signifier when
- You are describing why someone did or did not realise they could act.
- The fix is a visible cue: an underline, a border, a label, a cursor.
Use Affordance when
- You are describing what the interface permits.
- The question is capability rather than perception.
Local chart
TERM·005 · Region X · Grid C6
This entry and the entries it is stated to connect with. Each line is labelled with what the connection means.
Continue from here
Each link says what the connection is, so you can tell a principle from an alternative from a thing people mix this up with.
Deeper reading
The full entry behind this definition.
- Affordances and SignifiersPRIN·007 · Principle
- Visual StatesFND·053 · UI foundation
Nearby in the Atlas
Adjacent territory, found through shared tags rather than a stated link.