The disabled toolbar is easier because it still gives context and confidence you are looking in the right place.
'This is what I want...hmm...how do I make it work?' is a far easier process than 'I can't find what I want...where on earth is it?..does it even exist?'
Re:The Obvious UI Is Often the Best UI
by CuriouslyC on Wednesday October 09, 2019 @05:45PM
(#21208486)
And that waste of screen real estate necessitates other design tradeoffs that are more sub optimal than the ribbon.
Meaning with the graph design toolbar, it would be visible, but do absolutely nothing until a graph is selected. With the Ribben it appears when the graph is selected.
I don't see how a disabled toolbar, with no clue how to enable it, helps with user training or clarity.