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Re: Mobile Native apps - buttons that use colours and text without any borders.

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From: Steve Green
Date: Jan 23, 2020 7:40AM

I agree that SC 1.4.11 states that button borders are not needed to identify controls, but I believe this conflicts with another SC. Unfortunately, I can't recall which it is - perhaps 1.3.1 or 1.4.1. Anyway, that one says something to the effect that link text needs some form of affordance, such as an underline, if the context does not make it obvious that it is a link. Links in menus do not require such affordances because the grouping together of the words makes it obvious that they are links (according to the SC). Technique G182 talks about this.

Although links and buttons are different things, my view is that the same reasoning applies. A single button without a border does not have enough context for users to know it is a button, so some other affordance, such as an underline is required. That may not be necessary for groups of buttons though.

Steve Green
Managing Director
Test Partners Ltd