von-restorff-effect

Use one filled primary button while keeping all other actions as ghost or text buttons. The Von Restorff Effect works because the single deviating element contrasts with visually consistent neighbors, drawing attention and improving recall.

The Von Restorff Effect, or Isolation Effect, states that an item differing from its surroundings is more likely to be noticed and remembered. In UI design it guides highlighting one key element, such as a CTA or recommended pricing tier, against uniform surroundings.

Use the Von Restorff Effect when a single action or element must dominate attention. For overall ordering of many elements by importance across a page, use visual hierarchy principles instead, since isolation only works with one or very few deviating items.

The effect depends on contrast with context. If everything is differentiated, nothing stands out, and random pops of color train users to ignore them. Audit for isolation inflation where every new feature requests highlight treatment.

Not with color alone. Pair color differentiation with shape, size, or weight so the distinction survives colorblindness and grayscale. Test the differentiated element across hover, focus, and disabled states as well.