The incredible overcomplexity of the Shadcn radio button

https://www.osnews.com/story/144222/the-incredible-overcomplexity-of-the-shadcn-radio-button/

Thom Holwerda Jan 20, 2026 · 1 min read
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The other day I was asked to update the visual design of radio buttons in a web app at work. I figured it couldn’t be that complicated. It’s just a radio button right?

<input type="radio" name="beverage" value="coffee" />

Boom! Done. Radio buttons are a built-in HTML element. They’ve been around for 30 years. The browser makes it easy. Time for a coffee.

↫ Paul Hebert

If only it was that simple – cue the rollercoaster ride. What an absolutely garish state of affairs lies behind this simple radio button on a website. I’m also well aware OSNews has a certain amount of complexity it might not need, and while I can’t fix that, I am at least working on a potential solution.