Morningstar Design System

Buttons

Buttons trigger interactions throughout the experience.

Button

Variations

Primary

Use for highest-priority actions that are required to complete the user’s task.

Default
Hover
Active
Focus 
<button class="mds-button mds-button--primary" type="button"> Button Text </button>
Disabled 
<button class="mds-button mds-button--primary" type="button" disabled> Button Text </button>
  • Use a primary button only once per page, though an additional primary button can appear within Modals, Popovers, or Notifications when needed to signal critical actions.

Secondary

Use for non-critical actions.

Default
Hover
Active
Focus 
<button class="mds-button mds-button--secondary" type="button"> Button Text </button>
Disabled 
<button class="mds-button mds-button--secondary" type="button" disabled> Button Text </button>
  • Use for most buttons triggering non-critical actions, such as back, cancel, adding or creating an object.

Flat

Use for tertiary actions.

Default
Hover
Focus 
<button class="mds-button mds-button--flat" type="button"> Button Text </button>
Disabled 
<button class="mds-button mds-button--flat" type="button" disabled> Button Text </button>

With Icon

Add Icons to provide additional affordance to a button.

On Left
On Right
On Left and Right 
<button class="mds-button mds-button--primary" type="button">
    <svg class="mds-icon mds-button__icon mds-button__icon--left" aria-hidden="true">
        <use xlink:href="/icons/mds.svg#open-new--s"> </use>
    </svg>
    <span class="mds-button__text"> Copy Document </span>
</button>
<button class="mds-button mds-button--secondary" type="button">
    <svg class="mds-icon mds-button__icon mds-button__icon--left" aria-hidden="true">
        <use xlink:href="/icons/mds.svg#open-new--s"> </use>
    </svg>
    <span class="mds-button__text"> Copy Document </span>
</button>
<button class="mds-button mds-button--flat" type="button">
    <svg class="mds-icon mds-button__icon mds-button__icon--left" aria-hidden="true">
        <use xlink:href="/icons/mds.svg#open-new--s"> </use>
    </svg>
    <span class="mds-button__text"> Copy Document </span>
</button>
  • Only place an Icon to the left of a button's label to emphasize meaning.
  • Only place an Icon to the right of a button's label to trigger a Menu or imply directionality.

Icon Only

Use for toolbars and displays where words won't comfortably fit alongside icons.

Default
Hover
Focus 
<button class="mds-button mds-button--icon-only" type="button">
    <svg class="mds-icon mds-button__icon mds-button__icon--right">
        <use xlink:href="/icons/mds.svg#person-padless">
            <title>User</title>
        </use>
    </svg>
</button>
Disabled 
<button class="mds-button mds-button--icon-only mds-button--hover" type="button" disabled>
    <svg class="mds-icon mds-button__icon mds-button__icon--right">
        <use xlink:href="/icons/mds.svg#person-padless">
            <title>User</title>
        </use>
    </svg>
</button>
  • Consider pairing with a Tooltip to describe the Icon’s underlying action.
Icon-only Button paired with a tooltip.
  • When pairing with a button, use an $mds-space-inline-left-2-x space and vertically align middle the icon-only button.
  • When pairing with a small button, use the small icon-only button.
Icon-only Button alignment paired with a button.
Do place all icon-only buttons to the left or right of paired buttons.
Do place all icon-only buttons to the left or right of paired buttons.
Don‘t place icon-only buttons between paired buttons.
Don‘t place icon-only buttons between paired buttons.

Sizing

Configure button size and icon size independently within the button.

Button Size

Each button variation allows for small, medium, and large sizes. The default size is medium, and you can use modifier classes to make the button smaller (mds-button--small) or larger (mds-button--large).

Small
Medium (Default)
Large 
<button class="mds-button mds-button--small mds-button--primary" type="button">
    <span class="mds-button__text"> Continue </span>
    <svg class="mds-icon mds-button__icon mds-button__icon--right" aria-hidden="true">
        <use xlink:href="/icons/mds.svg#caret-right--s"> </use>
    </svg>
</button>
<button class="mds-button mds-button--small mds-button--secondary" type="button">
    <span class="mds-button__text"> Continue </span>
    <svg class="mds-icon mds-button__icon mds-button__icon--right" aria-hidden="true">
        <use xlink:href="/icons/mds.svg#caret-right--s"> </use>
    </svg>
</button>
<button class="mds-button mds-button--small mds-button--flat" type="button">
    <span class="mds-button__text"> Continue </span>
    <svg class="mds-icon mds-button__icon mds-button__icon--right" aria-hidden="true">
        <use xlink:href="/icons/mds.svg#caret-right--s"> </use>
    </svg>
</button>
<button class="mds-button mds-button--small mds-button--icon-only" type="button">
    <svg class="mds-icon mds-button__icon mds-button__icon--right">
        <use xlink:href="/icons/mds.svg#heart--s">
            <title>User</title>
        </use>
    </svg>
</button>
Do use a small button for secondary actions, like creating a rule.
Do use a small button for secondary actions, like creating a rule.
Do use a small button to apply an action to a dataset.
Do use a small button to apply an action to a dataset.
  • Use small buttons in toolbars and Popover and Menu headers.
  • Never apply mds-button--large to an icon-only button.

Icon Size

Icon size is predetermined and applied automatically to with icon and icon-only buttons. To avoid undesirable scaling of icon artwork, use the chart below to choose the correct icon size to use in your button.

Type Small Button Medium Button Large Button

Primary

Small Icon

Small Icon

Default Icon

Secondary

Small Icon

Small Icon

Default Icon

Flat

Small Icon

Small OR Default Icon*

Default Icon

Icon Only

Small Icon

Default Icon

—

* Default size icon may be used within the medium flat button by applying the mds-button--flat-icon-m modifier class to the block level.

Guidelines

Use When

  • Affording interaction to key behaviors and features.
  • Confirming or submitting information entered into a Form.
  • Cancelling an action.
  • Resetting a form or dataset.
  • Closing a container or section.
  • Opening a Menu.
  • Moving forward or backward through a wizard-type workflow.
  • Creating an object within a group.
  • Applying a non-critical action to a dataset.

Don′t Use When

  • Displaying a collection of links to sections. Use Links instead.
  • Linking to an external site. Use Links instead.

Visual Language

Do use the same button size for adjacent buttons.
Do use the same button size for adjacent buttons.
Don‘t display normal and small buttons together in the same row.
Don‘t display normal and small buttons together in the same row.
Do place primary buttons to the right within a group of buttons.
Do place primary buttons to the right within a group of buttons.
Don‘t place primary buttons to the left within a group of buttons.
Don‘t place primary buttons to the left within a group of buttons.

Editorial

  • Label a button with a verb, like “Copy”, or verb-phrase, like “Copy Document”.
  • Strive for short button labels that clearly describe an action.
  • Avoid lengthy button labels that risk wrapping, particularly in responsive settings.

Accessibility

  • Use a <button> element type when displaying buttons.
  • An <a> element cannot be triggered from a spacebar press, only from an enter or return press.
  • It is expected that a button can be triggered by pressing spacebar, enter, or return.
  • Always include a <title> tag on the svg within an icon-only button to describe the button’s intent for icon-only buttons. See Iconography accessibility section.

Code Reference

  • This component uses a box-shadow property to create an outline. Internet Explorer and Safari have known issues rendering these outlines when using the browser's zoom functionality. This visual defect doesn't affect the functionality of the component.

CSS Class References

Class
 Applies to
 Outcome

mds-button

<button>,
<a>,
<input type="submit"/>, <input type="button"/>, <input type="checkbox"/>, <input type="checkbox"/>, or <input type="radio"/>

Applies base button styles to an element. Always couple with a variant for semantics, though a standalone mds-button will apply the same visual treatments as mds-button paired with mds-button--secondary.

mds-button--primary

mds-button

Shows primary button, to be coupled with mds-button.

mds-button--secondary

mds-button

Shows secondary button, to be coupled with mds-button.

mds-button--flat

mds-button

Shows tertiary button, to be coupled with mds-button.

mds-button--icon-only

mds-button

Applies the icon-only styles to a button element. Specifically, it removes the border strokes and background treatments found on primary and secondary buttons.

mds-button--small

mds-button

Adjusts styling to render a small button.

mds-button--large

mds-button

Adjusts styling to render a large button.

mds-button--icon-left

mds-button--icon

Positions an icon to the left of a button label.

mds-button--icon-right

mds-button--icon

Positions an icon to the right of a button label.

mds-button--flat-icon-m

mds-button--icon

Applies default size to the icon in a medium flat button. Never apply this class when using a small icon.
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