checkboxes are for multiple selection and radio buttons are for single selection
i was a kid during the 90s through 2000s but i didn't get my first computer until the 2000s. i am no susan kare nor picasso but i developed some visual design sensibilities, during high school i made some printed media artifacts (think posters, book covers, calendars, etc.) that i no longer have copy of (just trust me, okay?). of course interactive design takes a different skill but i sure have done a good amount computer interacting.
interface rules were simple and clear, even across different platforms! checkboxes meant you could pick multiple things. radio buttons meant you picked one. users knew what to expect, and everything just worked.
after starting computer science studies in 2014 while doing on and off graphic design gigs, i'm watching in horror as a new wave of ui designers treats decades of established ui conventions like mere suggestions, even today.
the great confusion
i regularly encounter:
- radio buttons where users should be able to select multiple options
- checkboxes used for simple yes/no choices
- custom switches replacing everything because the originals "look outdated"
- complete confusion about when to use what
this confusion is part of a bigger problem. remember when you could tell what was clickable just by looking at it? when buttons looked like buttons and links were obviously links? when form fields actually looked like places where you could type?
don't tell me now everything should blend together. buttons look like decorative text. links are indistinguishable from labels. form inputs are invisible until you accidentally hover over them. we've traded clear communication for sleek aesthetics, and users are paying the price.
the real cost
this isn't just about aesthetics. breaking established patterns has consequences:
- users make more mistakes when interfaces don't behave as expected
- people spend mental energy figuring out your interface instead of accomplishing their goals
- accessibility suffers when you abandon tried-and-true patterns
- trust erodes when users can't predict how things will work
back to basics
"but we're innovating! we're creating new patterns!"
here's the thing: real innovation builds on understanding, not ignorance. the designers who established these conventions weren't working in a vacuum. they tested and refined these patterns based on how people actually behave.
i'm not advocating for design stagnation. interfaces should evolve. but evolution should build on understanding what worked and why, not blind rejection of everything that came before.
before you replace a standard element with something "more modern," ask yourself: does this actually help users, or does it just look trendy? will people immediately understand what it does, or will they have to learn your special system?
recommended readings
- about face by alan cooper
- don't make me think by steve krug
- the design of everyday things by don norman