Group Action vs. Bulk Action: UX Design Unboxed
Designing Interfaces that Work for You, Not Against You
Designers sometimes mistakenly label group action as bulk action. This confusion arises because "group" might sound like a bunch of similar actions, implying bulk action. However, this isn't accurate.
Group action is about logically organising related actions under one button, while bulk action involves performing the same action on multiple items simultaneously.
Clearing Up the Confusion
It's essential to differentiate between the two to ensure a clear and effective UX design.
Group Actions
Group action means grouping related actions under one button. This button, often a primary split button, highlights the strongest action on a page. Other related non-primary actions are provided inside the chevron dropdown button.
Bulk Actions
Bulk action, on the other hand, lets users do the same thing to multiple items at once. Instead of doing actions on each item separately, users can select multiple items and do the action once for all of them. This is handy for tasks with lots of data or things that need repetitive actions, like managing emails or files.
Points to Remember
Interaction Design
But here's a key thing to remember about bulk actions: when there's a primary split button, make sure the strongest action is clickable. Instead of opening the dropdown right after clicking on the primary action, make the chevron clickable for secondary actions. This way, users can easily access both the main action and any other options without any confusion.
Bulk Action Behaviour
It's also worth noting that bulk actions don't necessarily require a split button. While split buttons can be useful for organising actions, bulk actions can be implemented differently, such as through checkboxes or dedicated bulk action buttons, depending on the context and user needs.