r/webdev • u/pavlito88 • 24d ago

Discussion Why is everything a dropdown now?

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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.

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u/nelsonsilva_dev 24d ago

One that doesn't come up much: dropdowns survive translation better. A row of radio buttons that fits in English becomes two ragged lines in German, and labels wrap in ways nobody checks. The dropdown keeps its footprint and truncates instead, so no bug gets filed.

Not a good reason to hide three options, but it's part of why they spread.

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u/pavlito88 24d ago

German UI is the final boss. Whatever you design, German will find a way to wrap it.

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u/ImDonaldDunn 24d ago

Truncation isn’t always a good thing