Please help if you have come across something like this use case. Thanks in advance.
Is there an existing pattern where I have a multi select drop down, which also has an 'Other' option that automatically deselects the other select options, and also opens up a comments section?
It would by very unexpected by the user that selection of "others" would deselect the previously selected options. Therefore it is necessary to make sure the user understands that it is either multiselect OR other.
You could achieve this by using a radio button with the options "select option" and "others" (naming of the to options should be as precise as possible). The selection of either radio button would change the next input field in either a multi select dropdown or a comment field.
And another thought about the multi select dropdown: if there are not to many options it is less complicated to the user if the options are visible instead of being hidden in a dropdown.
I recently mocked this scenario where I had the requirement that a user can input his own value if it is not available in the drop-down list.
User can select the universities available in the drop-down list or they can provide the name of their university if it is not available in the list
Interaction of this use case is given below
