Challenge

Choosing which values in a menu should be default. Ever go to a site that has a very small country set as the default value, a country that may not even have internet (or at best makes up .5% of online internet users)? Had the UI/UX Designer thought through the system configurations, you may have filled out that form slightly faster (it’s a convenience factor).

Solution

Most users don’t want to fill out long forms and will go to another site that will make the process easier for them if you make them fill out a ten page survey on their life history. While the default values you choose may not be right, it is better to have a value as an example that can be easily changed than to have an empty field.

Additional UX Considerations:

• Radio buttons, text fields and drop down boxes should be set to default values that are convenient to the user.
• These fields should be described in a way that is quick to understand.
• If a field is mandatory that should be noted.
• When a user makes a mistake, fills out the form too long, or doesn’t choose an option that is mandatory the fields should be noted in a way that that will direct the user the the issue.

*UX stands for user experience

*UI stands for user interface

I just couldn’t help but share this with you. As a designer, color can make all the difference in the world. It effects readability, feeling and can compliment spaces. Think of how blue in all its coolness and depth makes you feel, light, calm, connected. While red is known to make you hungry, angry, in movies it’s used to relate to death coming up in a scene, and is used in presidential ties to show strength and power. The image below is from the Floating Frog. Even if you’re not a designer, this will catch you up on color theory. If you’ve ever seen a color wheel, you know it’s like a designer’s cheat sheet to selecting colors. Another great tool is Kuler.

See the full graphic at The Floating Frog.

More handy web design resources.

While I’m on a role, here is a designers future dream tool. From Adobe Photoshop: