HI,
I need some help about the right default value in a set of checkboxes...
Is it better to use a "All" choice selected by default in a set of
checkboxes or to leave all of them unselected in order to include all the
choces.
Thanks for you answer,
Yann
_
Yann--
I hate trap doors in UIs, meaning actions you take that lead you to a
new state from which you can not easily (or ever) revert.
Therefore I hate radio button groups in which initially no button is
selected (typically representing an "all" or "none" state), but once
you select a button y
Yann--
Oops, I misread your question. You said checkboxes, not radio buttons.
In a set of checkboxes, where checking a box means "this option is
selected", the standard way to show that all options are selected is
to check all the boxes. If you wish, you can place a button adjacent
to the gr
> Is it better to use a "All" choice selected by default in a set of
> checkboxes or to leave all of them unselected in order to include all
> the choces.
It depends.
Having "All" selected by default has the potential to require the user
to perform extra steps in order to complete the task
If you follow the rule of "radio buttons are fro single choices in a set
and Checkboxes are for multiple choices in a set" then the problem becomes
simpler.
The only time I would have "choices" pre-selected were if I had a business
imperative to drive people toward a particular choice. All checkb
I'm with Todd: "For radio buttons I would have one pre-selected only
when I understand that most visitors select that choice; that becomes
a kind of usability accommodation."
I'd go a step further to suggest that this can be a usability issue
on the delivery side, too, depending on your specific u
Hi Yann
I would recommend having none of the options checked by default but
including an "All" checkbox to simplify this selection, especially
if there are more than 5 options.
Having none of the options checked:
- encourages the user to think about what they actually want
- prevents accidental sel
Amen, Jessica!
Can I share a little personal experience I had on this matter?
One day I was researching interactions on a dating/social site.
(Research, riiight.) No really I was. I was interested in their
heavy use of DHTML. I'm happily married. (comes into story later)
So I went to an ar
