Settings Design

Organization

Group by Domain

• Account (profile, email, password)
• Appearance (theme, language, density)
• Notifications (email, push, in-app)
• Privacy & Security (2FA, data, permissions)
• Integrations (connected apps, API)
• Billing (plan, payment, invoices)

Navigation

• Sidebar with sections on desktop.
• Stacked list on mobile.
• Search within settings for 20+ options.

Patterns

• Toggles for on/off binary choices. Apply immediately, no save button.
• Radio groups for mutually exclusive options (theme: light/dark/system).
• Dropdowns for 4+ options in a list.
• Save button only when changes are complex and need review before applying.

Feedback

• Confirmation after saving: inline "Saved" text, not a modal.
• Preview for visual changes (theme, layout) before committing.
• Undo for accidental changes.
• Warning before destructive settings (delete account, revoke access).

Anti-Patterns

• Settings that require a page reload to take effect (apply instantly).
• Nested settings pages more than 2 levels deep.
• Toggle labels that don't clearly state what on/off means.
• "Advanced settings" that contain commonly needed options.