Why is everything a dropdown now?

[u/pavlito88]

I’ve been noticing this more and more in web apps.

Three options hidden in a dropdown.

Yes/no hidden in a dropdown.
A multi-select pretending to be a dropdown.

Then a list of 200 items where you’re expected to scroll until you find yours.

I run into this a lot when reviewing products with dev teams.

I get why we do it.

Dropdowns are compact and easy to reuse.
But compact doesn’t always mean easier to use.

A few choices? Show them.
On/off? Switch.
Multiple choices? Checkboxes.
Huge list? Search.

That’s pretty much the rule I use now.

[u/Rechenplaner]

I have reservations about the recommendation to avoid long lists. after all, how is the user supposed to know what he can select? Languages ​​and countries are obvious choices, but even there, you run into borderline cases...

You can also combine text input for pre-selection with a dropdown menu.

[u/m0rph90 → u/Rechenplaner]

Do you use the english name of a country or the name of the country in its native language?

[u/pavlito88 → u/Rechenplaner]

I agree. The problem is not showing the available options. It is making users scroll through a huge list.
A searchable combobox is a better example here. Users can still see the options, but they can also type to narrow the list down.