Guidelines
Form organisation and user workflow
Principle: Align forms with the user's cognitive framework and ongoing tasks.
Rationale: Users engage with forms based on their existing mental models and the context of their activities. Organizing forms to reflect this mental framework streamlines user interaction and fosters a seamless workflow.
Information hierarchy Is clear
Principle: Define information hierarchy and appropriate sections clearly, to enhance user experience and streamline form completion.
Rationale: Consistent visual cues and structuring allow users to swiftly navigate and complete forms, ensuring a seamless interaction.
Input field size matches context
Principle: Length and size of fields should guide users to make the right decisions and move easily through the form.
Rationale: Matching the size of the container to the size of the content helps to confirm that users are entering the right sort of information in that space.
Design considerations
Keep the form as short as possible
Each extra field in a form impacts completion rate. Try to ask only what is required, and rethink whether optional fields are necessary.
Keep labels and additional text concise
Be as concise as possible. Eliminate extra words where possible, as long as you are being clear.
Think of your form as a conversation
Forms are a kind of question and answer. Imagine the natural flow of a conversation, and let your form mimic the flow, by keeping related fields together and grouping information into logical chunks.