I had a discussion with a colleague about whether or not to use split buttons, such as this one from Powerpoint:
(Dis)advantages
Advantages:
- Allows you to group related actions, and helps to keep your UI clean
- Just one click 'slower' than a separate button, but still quickly accessible
Disadvantages:
- Hides commands from the user
- Requires additional mouse clicks for some actions
The dispute
While we both clearly understand the (dis)advantages, we cannot agree on whether or not the split button pattern is a good one at all. We figured that our preferences were related to me being used to Microsoft products, and my colleague being more used to Apple products. Microsoft seems to use the pattern frequently, Apple (as far as I know) not at all.
Given this discrepancy, we wondered: are there any usability studies that have validated the pattern?
Answer
There is nothing wrong with this pattern.
It doesn't have any major flaws or critical issues as Google included it in its design guidelines as dropdown buttons. And believe me they test everything thoroughly, so don't worry it is a safe bet.
As everything else it has its own advantages and disadvantages as you pointed out. You just have to decide in which situation it is appropriate for use and in which not.
If you have lots of actions in a single screen in some cases it is wiser to group them under 1 dropdown button to reduce visual clutter. Sometimes it is the other way around, but its the UI/UX designers call to decide which is better for the current situation.
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