Why does it have to be a radio button? Seems like you're describing a dropdown menu with no selection to start. This is a very common state on forms for optional elements.
As a voice against pre-selection, I recently had a problem making a donation to a UN Foundation site. I clicked through from an e-mail hoping to make a $25 contribution. They offered radio buttons for $10, $35, $50, $100 and up, plus other. $50 was preseleected. I took the bait upping the ante and clicked $35 and Donate. Except with no confirmation message offered, I got a "thank you for your $50 donation." My click hadn't registered, and $50 was charged, which I am now disputing with a bad taste in my mouth. Users should have to make a choice unless there's a clear default, like on a travel site where you are almost always buying 1 adult ticket or 1 hotel room. Diana On Tue, Jun 16, 2009 at 8:53 PM, Emely Serruys<[email protected]> wrote: > Hi, > > I am wondering if it is (already?) acceptable to omit the explicit > null option in a radio button control? > I have used radiobuttons for a non-required control. To apply the > null option the user would have to 'unselect' the one selected > radio button (this to save place by not adding a fourth radio button > or to not have to use a drop down control). > I suppose it is kind of an unusual behavior but it seems to me that > is is learnable, and I have seen it in product design. Has this kind > of behavior been introduced in forms before? > > Thanks for your opinions, > Emely > ________________________________________________________________ > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ....... [email protected] > Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help > ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [email protected] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
