Signifier

A perceivable cue that signals where and how an action can be taken — a button label, an underline, an arrow, a scrollbar. Where an affordance is what an element makes possible, a signifier is what communicates that possibility to the user.

Why it matters

Norman’s correction to his own “affordance”: on screens, what matters is not what CAN be done but what is SIGNALLED as doable. Every clickable thing needs a perceivable cue — or the capability may as well not exist.

Related terms

• Affordance
• Call-to-Action (CTA)
• Chip
• Microcopy
• Tooltip

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