layout - Should radio options be displayed vertically or horizontally?

For Example:

Results must match () All  () Any  () None  Of the search criteria

vs

Results must match () All  of the search criteria
                   () Any
                   () None  

The logic behind having them inline is that it is attempting to be readable as sentence. But does the clutter negate that?

Answer

There are a few problems with 'sentence' radio selections:

1. 
   

   When three or more radios are displayed, it becomes difficult to immediately pick out pairs of buttons and labels. This is a problem with checkboxes, too. Users read in F-shaped patterns, top to bottom, and find it harder to resolve multiple items in a row.

   
   


2. 
   

   Creating a readable sentence won't be possible with many radio buttons, and it will increase the length of your labels in some cases, too. Because you're going to have to use whatever pattern you choose consistently throughout the rest of the UI, you're adding a constraint to future designs (ie all radios will have to work as full sentences). Constraints are something you should be trying to avoid - trust me on that.

   
   


3. 
   

   I'm not convinced a readable sentence will make an impact anyway, because users don't read UI forms like full prose - they fix their eyes on a few keywords and use context to glean meaning. Actually, they read prose that way too - but at least here we get the advantage of users expecting a 'telegraphic' language style.

   
   
   


4. 
   

   'Sentence' radio buttons take up a lot of horizontal space, which isn't something you always have in abundance as a designer. Most designs stretch vertically far better than they do horizontally, whether on web, on print or on desktop. You might end up adding more items to your choices, too, which could mean you have to wrap your lines. That's bad because your second line will look like a new set of controls.

   
   

I don't think it's a bad idea, and you're right to take interface prose style seriously (nothing says 'untrustworthy, unestablished organization' like typos and bad grammar), but in practice I think it's worse UX and it has practical disadvantages.