Forms

Are our forms as simple as possible and only ask what’s needed to complete the task?

Why it’s important:

Nick is in a hurry to fill out a medical insurance form for a sick relative.
Theresa has a cognitive disorder and needs to validate identification to submit an application.

Avoid users having to reorient themselves by presenting fields in a single-column layout. This keeps visual momentum moving down the page. (Exceptions to this rule are short logical fields presented on the same row like region or post code.)
For content spanning more than one page provide progress indicators. This is so users understand how far through the process they are.
Ensure form fields are visibly labelled.
Form fields need clear defined boundaries or outlines. This will assist users with cognitive disabilities to identify the size and location of the click target.
Avoid the use of placeholder text in form fields. Entering content in form fields creates usability issues as the placeholder text disappears. Hints and instructions should be persistent and placed outside of the field.
Provide error states in certain ways to meet accessibility standards including:
- Identifying each field in error.
- Providing suggestions (when known) to correct the errors.
- Exposing this information to Assistive technology.
Present highly visible and specific error states. To make sure users don't overlook this critical information use many cues. These may include colour, bold font weight, heavy border or outline and helpful text.

Last modified: 26 October 2021