When you've got two buttons with two different looks (and no cursor), how do you know which one you're about to activate? You'll need to be careful with the design.

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Explores a common interface design flaw where two buttons with different visual styles make it unclear which one is currently active or will be activated next. The problem is especially pronounced on devices without cursors (TVs, game consoles) where keyboard or remote navigation is required. Solutions include using consistent button styles with additive indicators for the active state, directional arrows, CSS media queries to detect input methods, and pressed/unpressed visual states for toggle buttons. The key principle is making the active state obviously distinct rather than relying on arbitrary style differences.

The Two Button Problem – Frontend Masters Blog

This is why I simply hate smart TVs. I never know which button’s in focus.

I would pretty much 100% of the time expect and will assume that, in that example image, the “try it free” is the one selected because its filled with the app theme color. However I wouldn’t be surprised if I was wrong, because there have been apps which have reversed my expectations before.

This is so interesting. I’ve never thought of this. But yes, in a universe where information seems inherently binary, when two buttons represent a choice, two styles can’t be the distinguisher!
I really like the solutions here. Very well, articulated.

I’ve seen sites where this kind of thing is a false dichotomy. Either button takes you to the same login screen. If it finds a matching account, it logs you in. If it doesn’t, it creates one with the info you provided and starts your trial.

One of my personal bugbears, specially when it toggles between the two they both could kind of be toggled. Say for a yellow and a green button.