Tuesday, August 23, 2016

checkboxes - Radio buttons with none selected


I feel like there's an answer out there but I can't find it.


We have a situation where customers need to choose one of two options for billing their services, but we can't choose it for them.


I've toyed with a dozen options, including some proposed by co-workers.


Here are the scenarios:


1. Use checkboxes like radio buttons:


Checkboxes as radio bittons



Here, neither is checked by default, clicking one or the other activates it and deselects the other.


I don't like this option as it doesn't follow checkbox conventions.




2. Radio buttons with a checkbox "enabler".


Radio buttons enabled by checkbox


This has the advantage of making clear that no option is currently enabled (especially if they're greyed out) and enabling the checkbox then enables the radio buttons.


The problem here is that a radio button "must" be checked (traditionally). I've been struggling to find a precedence where no radio button is already selected but haven't found one.


If an unselected radio button is an option, there's no need for the checkbox.




3. Dropdown/pop-up box



A drop-down menu will allow for a "null" option but, given that there are only three options (including null), it seems like overkill.


It's also important to note that, once they choose either option, they cannot go back and choose the null choice.




Even as I write this, I'm leaning toward the "radio buttons with none selected but once one is chosen, they just toggle like normal radio buttons."


I guess the questions are:



  1. Is there a better way?

  2. How much of a sin is an unselected radio button?




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