Components of a user interface
The table below shows some of the main user interface components. These are sometimes referred to as controls.
Name of control |
What it looks like |
Description |
Possible uses |
| Text box | Allows basic text entry. Allows alphanumeric values to be entered. Can use validation to restrict to a number data type. | Getting general information from the user which is not covered by the other methods. | |
| Radio button | Used to choose one option from a small list, ensuring that all possible options are visible. | Used to select a score from 1 to 5 for a survey | |
| tick box | Do you agree? | Allows a tick to represent acceptance or rejection. | Do you accept the terms and conditions? Very common at the end of web forms! |
| Drop down / selection box | Used to select one option from a predefined list where there are many possible options. | Common for choosing country of origin on sign up forms. | |
| list box | Used to allow the user to select many options from a predefined list. | Select all hobbies someone may be interested in from a list | |
| Buttons | Will perform a predictable action | To submit a form |
You can combine these in many different ways in order to produce a useable and accessible user interface. Consider the interfaces of software you use on a daily basis. How have they used the above components?
