Radio buttons and dropdown menus are essential UI components for user interaction. Here's how to use them effectively:
📌 What Are Radio Buttons?
Radio buttons allow users to select one option from a group. They are ideal for:
- Preferences (e.g., gender, payment method)
- Settings (e.g., theme, language)
- Filters (e.g., category, sort order)
📌 What Are Dropdown Menus?
Dropdown menus provide a compact way to display multiple options. Common use cases include:
- Navigation (e.g., selecting a region or language)
- Form inputs (e.g., choosing a date or time)
- Filtering content (e.g., sorting by popularity or price)
🧠 Best Practices
- Group related options: Use
<fieldset>
for radio buttons to organize them logically. - Label clearly: Always associate labels with their corresponding controls using
<label>
. - Limit dropdown items: Avoid overwhelming users with too many options (ideally < 10).
- Accessibility: Ensure keyboard navigation and proper ARIA attributes for screen readers.
🧾 Example Code
<label><input type="radio" name="theme" value="light"> Light Theme</label>
<label><input type="radio" name="theme" value="dark"> Dark Theme</label>
<select aria-label="Choose a language">
<option value="en">English</option>
<option value="es">Spanish</option>
<option value="fr">French</option>
</select>
📚 Expand Your Knowledge
For deeper insights into UX design principles, check out our UX Design Principles guide.
Let me know if you need further examples or implementation tips! 😊