Best Practices for Dropdown Menus in UI Design

We must admit that users see these dropdown menus almost every day because they are everywhere in the website navigation bars. Dropdown menus are one of the most important UI elements that are used in every website design because at the end of the day, designers create them for one essential purpose: to ensure smooth navigation and improve user experience.

Represent a basic UI component in the design, that users see everywhere and serve all kinds of purposes, and which displays a list of different options when clicked. The dropdown UI menus are created as a method of displaying multiple choices and options for users to select from. 

This UI element allows users to choose from the list of predefined choices without cluttering the page, which makes it a popular design option for all designers who focus on compact navigation. 

In UI/UX design there are four models of dropdown menus that can be used according to the website content and the action that must be performed. 

‍

1. Command Dropdown Menus

Command menus initiate an action based on the user’s selected option. This type usually allows users to perform actions from a list of options are is mostly seen in apps of software interfaces when users need to choose an option. 

2. Navigation Dropdown Menus 

This type of dropdown menu is usually created by UI/UX designers to help users navigate through different sections or pages of a website or app. So, the navigation menu's purpose is to organize the links in a much-structured way in the header or even the sidebar. 

3. Action Dropdown Menu

The actions menu is able to reveal different actions only when users need it. Here, for example, in a file management system, each file should have a dropdown menu with different actions such as “Rename”, “Delete”, or “Share”. So, in order to create a clutter-free design these actions will be accessible only in the context of the action. 

4. Form Dropdown menu

This kind of dropdown UI design is part of a form, which allows users to select a certain option from a list. They are usually used in those cases when users need to make a form choice without having the need to manually type in the answer, such as the payment method, country, and other details. 

Dropdown menus are probably the most popular among UI/UX designers because they are the perfect choice to avoid visual chaos in the website or app design. But, we must admit that is also the most debated UI element because there are so many options in which it can be implemented. 

If it’s not created correctly according to a set of standards, a dropdown menu can sometimes occupy more room than needed, and also have various issues in the mobile layout. Let's review some of the best practices for designing the best dropdown UI design menu. 

‍

Make The Dropdown Menu As Simple As Possible 

Simplicity and clarity are the two most important aspects of a UI dropdown menu. Keep in mind that each option that is placed in the dropdown menu design should be clear in order to avoid any confusion that users might have. 

Try to keep the options in the created menu as concise as possible, and focus more on the essential titles or actions that will help the user navigate better on the website or app design. Sometimes can be hard to limit the options, but an excessive number of actions might be overwhelming. 

‍

The UI Dropdown Menu Design Must Be Easy To Interact With

It’s crucial for users to consider the dropdown menu design easy to open, navigate, and close to ensure a smooth website or app interaction. Also, try to make the trigger for opening the dropdown menu, whether it’s a hover or a click, user-friendly and intuitive to make sure that users will find all the actions that they need.  

‍

Create A Mobile-Friendly UI Dropdown Menu Design

Because more and more users are navigating from a mobile device, dropdown UI menus must be specially created to be mobile-friendly. So, for devices that have a touchscreen, it’s important to make the clickable area wide enough for easy tapping, in order to avoid any mistakes. 

So, before launching a UI dropdown menu design, be sure that is tested on mobile devices and runs properly in order to keep the users engaged. 

‍

Create the UI Dropdown Menu Design to be Accessible

All the dropdown menus are required to be accessible for all users, including those with different impairments or disabilities. Make sure that when creating the dropdown menu, the design will further allow it to be navigated using keyboard shortcuts or different keyboard keys. 

‍

Avoid Dropdown Menus For Information That Users Can Type In Faster 

In a form usually, try to avoid implementing dropdown menus when users can type in faster all the data. For example, when they need to select the day, month, or year of birth, it is usually easier to just type in 2 or four digits instead of selecting the birthday in a long list of days. 

It’s true that in forms the dropdown menus are designed to help users fill faster all the categories, but try to implement them only when the design needs it. 

Designing effective UI dropdown UI menus is very important for improving the overall user experience with the website or app. Try to follow as many practices as possible, such as keeping all the options clear, ensuring an easy interaction, and optimizing for mobile, in order to create a more intuitive website or app interface. 

We at uinkits understand the importance of great user experiences and creating amazing UI designs. That’s why we’ve developed a Figma UI Kit with design components that include these essential UI elements that enable you to design intuitive and user-friendly interfaces effortlessly.

“You press the button, we do the rest.” – Kodak.

Inspired by this iconic tagline from Kodak, we believe in simplifying the design process for you. Our Figma UI Kit, uinkits, is a complete design system with UI components that allows you, as a UI UX designer, to create your products as quickly as pressing a button.

Our design system includes UI components, icons, variables, cards, buttons and everything you need for your design process. All you have to do is take your UI design component needed, and you’re ready to use it in your designs!