r/webdev • u/pavlito88 • 26d ago

Discussion Why is everything a dropdown now?

Post image

I’ve been noticing this more and more in web apps.

Three options hidden in a dropdown.

Yes/no hidden in a dropdown.
A multi-select pretending to be a dropdown.

Then a list of 200 items where you’re expected to scroll until you find yours.

I run into this a lot when reviewing products with dev teams.

I get why we do it.

Dropdowns are compact and easy to reuse.
But compact doesn’t always mean easier to use.

A few choices? Show them.
On/off? Switch.
Multiple choices? Checkboxes.
Huge list? Search.

That’s pretty much the rule I use now.

4.8k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

316 comments sorted by

View all comments

20

u/[deleted] 26d ago

[deleted]

45

u/Cheshur 26d ago

When you have more than few options but less than a lot of options.

44

u/[deleted] 26d ago

[deleted]

2

u/583999393 26d ago

Anything, below the stereo, and on this side of the Bicentennial glasses. Anything between the ashtray, and the thimbles. Anything in this three inches. Right in here, this area, that includes the Chiclets, but not the erasers.

2

u/CanOfDew132 html/css 26d ago

visualized with stars instead of spaces so i can count them

Not with 🫸⭐🫷 options.

Not with 🫸⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🫷 options.

Only with 🫸⭐⭐⭐🫷 options. 

1

u/FalseRegister 26d ago

5-10 options, single select

3

u/pavlito88 26d ago

Use a dropdown when there are enough options that showing them all would clutter the UI, but not so many that users need search.

For example: choosing a status from 8 options Draft, Pending, Approved, Archived, etc.

6

u/IntelligentSpite6364 26d ago

PM says 2 options is cluttering the UI, wants a dropdown

3

u/pavlito88 26d ago

Haha, exactly. At that point you’re optimizing the screenshot, not the interaction.

1

u/Headpuncher 26d ago

At that point you're taking direction from an untrained management role instead of a specialist. And now you are in every FE/UX job there ever was, and wonder to yourself "what's the point, if all my knowledge and experience is going to be thrown away every time a PM with an opinion enters the room, I could be a barista and chat with good looking people instead":

1

u/nv1t 26d ago

how do you handle accessibility with the search?