Pop ups VS Collapse blocks for adding new info

Question

when i want to add a new field for an existing entity, to add a new field it is required to submit a 3 fields form. is it better to open the form in a pop up and disable the background or is it also ok (or even better?) to use the option of collapse form, meaning when a user clicks on add the fields will be shown below on the current page?

i do like better the idea of collapse than the pop up, since i find pop ups really annoying

what do you think is better?

Answer 1

Collapse Blocks

• Because you are adding onto an existing entity, it makes more sense to keep the user in the context of that entity, rather than popping up out of context.
• Multiple additions in a row would lead to a "ping pong" experience. The user hits the add button and Ping! You're in an overlay. Submit the form and Pong! Back to the main screen. Hit the add again and Ping! And Pong!
• You are creating a non-continuous workflow. If this addition is one step in a longer workflow, you shouldn't use a popup.

Pop-up

• A pop-up will command a user's focus. If this is part of a large page, an inline collapsing block may be lost if the user starts scrolling.

It Depends

• Keep this consistent with the rest of your site. Is there already an established mode of interaction?
• Try usability testing or A/B testing both solutions if you can