Are required field notations really necessarywith radio button selections?

19 Nov 2007 - 2:23am
5 years ago
3 replies
530 reads
Peter Boersma
2003

Well, since we're reviving this discussion... ;-)

Alan wrote:
> With respect to radio buttons, there should always be a selected item.
[..]
> The reason for this is that if a person makes a selection, then
> changes her mind, there is no other way to un-set it.

For situations we're talking about here (required field) that may be the desired situation.

I remember when we designed forms for the UK Inland Revenue (tax) we choose to have all radio buttons in an initial blank state and make them required. Reason for this was that supplying a (reasonable) default would be seen as "filling out the form for the user" which was very much not done: tax papers were to be filled out by the user alone.

Peter
--
Peter Boersma | Senior Interaction Designer | Info.nl
http://www.peterboersma.com/blog | http://www.info.nl

Comments

19 Nov 2007 - 8:02am
Kel Smith
2007

I've always included one preselected item among a group of radio
buttons. Doing such implies the "required" status of the grouping.
The only exception would be an instance where we cannot legally
provide that option by default; the user must opt-in.

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Posted from the new ixda.org
http://gamma.ixda.org/discuss?post=22545

19 Nov 2007 - 10:17am
bminihan
2007

You could select an option called "none" for the user, then in your form
validation alert the user if they haven't changed it. That would meet the
legal/regulatory need while meeting the "radio button behavior" expectations
of your users...

-----Original Message-----
From: discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com
[mailto:discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com] On Behalf Of Kel
Smith
Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 5:02 AM
To: discuss at ixda.org
Subject: Re: [IxDA Discuss] Are required field notations really
necessarywith radio button selections?

I've always included one preselected item among a group of radio
buttons. Doing such implies the "required" status of the grouping.
The only exception would be an instance where we cannot legally
provide that option by default; the user must opt-in.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://gamma.ixda.org/discuss?post=22545

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22 Nov 2007 - 10:20am
Kel Smith
2007

Ah, that's a good one Bryan. Thanks!

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Posted from the new ixda.org
http://gamma.ixda.org/discuss?post=22545

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