As the years go by, my birth year keeps sinking further down the dropdown list—reminding me how the experiences we have with interface design evolved over our life. Maybe now is a good time we rethink the standard birth year dropdown for a more inclusive design pattern.
My first thought was: Why not reverse the years in the dropdown? Put the oldest years first so they’re right at the top. No marathon scrolling required for older users. So, what year do we start with? Jeanne Calment, the oldest recorded human, lived to 122, so we might as well start things off around 1900.
Oh no. Actually, on second thought: This would push me even further down the list! Forget the reverse drop down idea. There are better ways to reconsider for the birth year selection user experience.
Alternative UI Solutions for Birth Year Selection
Here are four alternatives I have created to consider instead of the standard simple birth year dropdown/select UI/UX pattern. Note that the html markup in these examples uses Bulma for the UI framework (I highly recommend it!), but does not depend on it. A dash of CSS andJavaScript is where the magic happens.
Each solution is thoughtfully designed with usability in mind and includes clean, responsive examples powered by Bulma for a polished, modern look. Whether you’re a UI/UX designer, developer, or product manager, these ideas can inspire different ways to handle form inputs.
Birth Year Century Picker
This solution simplifies selecting a birth year by breaking the process into manageable steps. Users first choose a century (e.g., 1900s or 2000s), which narrows the options to relevant decades. Once a decade is selected, the exact years within that range become available. This step-by-step approach reduces cognitive load and avoids overwhelming users with a long list of years, making the interface clean and intuitive.
See the Pen Birth Year – Century Picker Pattern by Matt (@MSG317) on CodePen.
Birth Year Generation Selector
The generation selector allows users to identify their birth year by first selecting their generation (e.g., Millennials, Gen Z, or Baby Boomers). After choosing a generation, users can pick a specific year from a dynamically generated dropdown that reflects the correct range for that generation. This approach leverages relatable terms to simplify the experience, ensuring users can quickly pinpoint their birth year without needing to scroll through unrelated options.
See the Pen Birth Year – Generation Selector by Matt (@MSG317) on CodePen.
Birth Year Century Slider
The scrollable year selector uses a slider to let users select their birth year interactively. Users first choose a century to define the range of years (e.g., 1900–1999 or 2000–current year), and then the slider dynamically adjusts to that range. As users drag the slider, the selected year is displayed in real-time, providing immediate feedback. This tactile method is particularly effective for modern, touch-friendly interfaces and adds an engaging, visual element to the selection process.
See the Pen Birth Year – Century Slider UI by Matt (@MSG317) on CodePen.
Birth Year Autocomplete
The auto-suggestion input allows users to type their birth year directly into a text box. As they type, a list of valid years between 1900 and the current year is suggested, helping users quickly find the correct year without needing to scroll or click through dropdowns. The input is validated in real time to ensure only valid years are accepted, and an error message provides immediate feedback for invalid entries. This method is ideal for users who prefer typing or need more flexibility.
See the Pen Birth Year – Autocomplete UI by Matt (@MSG317) on CodePen.
Let’s Build This Together
What do you think? Are there better ways to improve this pattern? Sound off in the comments. Let’s make the web a better place for every birth year, from 1900 to 2024 and beyond.
#UXDesign #AccessibilityMatters #WebDev #BoomerFriendlyUI #GenXDesign #Usability #InclusiveDesign #ProductDesign