Recommendation 4.2.14:
Limit the number of choices offered to users at one time
Benefits Users
Visual | Cognitive | Physical
Relevant W3C Guidance
Phase 1: Gather & Organize
Additional Information
- Decision making is a costly cognitive process. Choosing between many options not only requires time to evaluate each option, but also deters the decision-maker from making any decision at all.
User Research
- Hold a user feedback session to evaluate and refine the options that a chatbot offers. Do users struggle to decide between two options? Is an option picked infrequently? What do users select if the option they need isn’t present?
Phase 2: Design & Implement
Examples
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Offer clearly distinct choices: “Do you want to file a claim, check on an existing claim, or something else?”
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Offer a limited number of choices: “Would you like to file jointly or separately?”
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Offering too many choices: “Do you want to file a claim, delete an existing claim, update the information on an existing claim, view the status of an existing claim, speak to customer service,…”
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Offering choices that are difficult to choose between: “Do you want to view the status of an existing claim or track an existing claim?”
Antipattern
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If the chatbot offers more than 3 choices for a response, you may have too many. Examine the list of choices to see if you can remove some options, combine similar options, or point to a longer list of options on a web page.
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If the choices are offered as buttons, don’t make the user scroll to read them all (with a mouse or a screen reader). If the choices don’t fit on one chatbot screen, there may be too many.
Phase 3: Test & Evaluate
Ask the User
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When you’re offered choices, is there at least one that meets your needs?
- This question is subjective; use a Likert scale. This question can be asked mid-study or post-study.
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When you’re offered choices, do you feel overwhelmed by the number of options?
- This question is subjective; use a Likert scale. This question can be asked mid-study or post-study.
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Was it easy to find an input suggestion from the options offered?
- This question is subjective; use a Likert scale. This question can be asked mid-study or post-study.