Settings & Preferences

Architecture

• Group settings by category (Account, Notifications, Appearance, Privacy, Billing)
• Use a sidebar or tab navigation for categories
• Search within settings for large apps
• Show current values without opening each setting

Rules

1. Sensible defaults. Most users never change settings. The defaults ARE the product for 80% of users.
2. Save automatically where possible (toggles, selects). "Save" buttons only for text inputs and multi-field forms.
3. Confirm destructive changes. Deleting account, revoking access, changing email.
4. Show consequences. "Turning this off means you won't receive..." not just a toggle.
5. Undo where possible. Deactivate instead of delete. Grace periods before permanent actions.

Common Mistakes

• Burying important settings (notification preferences, privacy)
• Settings that require a restart to take effect (without telling the user)
• No way to reset to defaults
• Settings pages that look different from the rest of the product
• Toggle switches with unclear on/off states