I have a simple drop down list containing about 12 choices. The choices are not countries, states, or any other common set of items that users would be used to scanning alphabetically or by name. What's the best sort order for these choices? I could alphabetize them, but I don't think it would be helpful because the names aren't all that meaningful. I could sort them by most common/likely choice, but that order would be a guess on my part... and I think with a dozen or so choices, sorting by frequency of use isn't very helpful anyway because you should be able to see all the choices at once.
What's the best way to sort choices in a drop down list when there is no meaningful sort dimension? Should I just default to alphabetical, or nothing at all?
Answer
If you have nothing else to guide a sorting order, alphabetic makes the most sense. At the very least it creates an affordance for repeated use, where people will likely recall the name of a previously used menu item before learning the position, and if they're asked to select an item from that menu by documentation or another person, they'll be able to find it that much more quickly.
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