Affordances and Signifiers

In UX, affordance and signifier are foundational to interaction design. Together, they shape how users understand what action to take on an interface. Affordance defines what actions are possible. Affordance is the property of an object that suggests how it should be used. Example: A button that looks clickable. Sliders afford dragging. Knobs afford turning. Signifier communicates how and where to act. A visual cue indicating how an element should be used. Labels, icons, colour, elevation, and feedback make affordances visible and understandable. Take an example of any elevator: The button affords pressing. The floor number on the buttons and the light that turns on after pressing are signifiers. The floor number on the button communicates where it would halt, and the light confirms action. Good UX ensures affordances exist, and Signifiers make them obvious.