global-toolbar-controls

# Global Toolbar Controls ## What Belongs Here Global controls affect the entire product experience but are not the user's primary task. They are reached occasionally — once per session or less — and should not compete visually with primary navigation or content. Typical global toolbar controls: - **Currency selector** (e-commerce, financial tools) - **Language / locale switcher** - **Region or market selector** - **Unit system** (metric / imperial) - **Theme toggle** (light / dark) - **Accessibility preferences** (font size, contrast) These are distinct from user account settings (which live in a profile menu) and from contextual settings (which live adjacent to the feature they affect). ## Where to Place Them ### Header utility strip A secondary row above or within the main header, right-aligned. Common on e-commerce and international sites. ``` [Logo] [EN | EUR | 🌍] [Account] [Cart] ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── [Main navigation] ``` ### Header right — compact Inline with the main header, far right, using small typography and minimal visual weight. ``` [Logo] [Nav items ...] [EUR ▾] [EN ▾] [Account ▾] ``` ### Footer For controls the user sets once and rarely revisits. Language and region selectors frequently appear in footers on large international sites (Airbnb, Apple). Appropriate when the control is truly infrequent. ### Dedicated settings area For more complex preference sets, a Settings pa...