This study examines how university students (ages 18–30) perceive the state and function of user interface components when combined with transparency. By utilising the official Apple iOS 26 UI Kit asset pack for Figma, the study is able to use a near identical version of the Liquid Glass design language as the primary research object. Utilising an abductive approach, the research began with an exploratory netnography and a theoretical review to establish a foundation of multifaceted knowledge and data. The data was then subsequently used for the prototype and laid out the groundwork for usability testing. Interview questions were then formed to perform a semi-structured interview. By combining usability testing with semi-structured interviews, deep qualitative data collection was made possible. 

The results show that in transparent layer-based interfaces, the perception of button state and function can be misinterpreted due to multiple factors. These include colour quantity, specific colour, reference points, convention over familiarity and background context. Because the usability testing utilised a static version of Liquid Glass rather than the dynamic version utilised in the iPhone operating system, these findings primarily reflect the broader challenges of transparency in UI rather than Apple’s implementation Liquid Glass as a whole.