Web Development

Ask something
Discussion Locked

Building usable Web forms

0 helpful
4 replies

by maryweilage

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

Have you had success getting users to fill out Web forms? Do you offer incentives? Share your Web form experiences with fellow members.

This topic was derived from Builder.com's Design and Usability Tactics e-newsletter. If you aren't already subscribed to the Design and Usability Tactics e-newsletter, visit our e-newsletter subcenter to sign up for this TechMail today:
http://builder.com.com/techmails.jhtml?repID=u001

4 replies

by airwhale

I'd be interrested in learning more about using the IE "ProfileAssistant" to pre-fill fields with common info the user may allready have filled in before. Reasearching this has been up there on my todo-list for a long time, but did I come around to it yet? nooo.... :-)

It seems like a good idea but it is at the same time widely under-used on the web. Since I hate filling in forms as much as the next guy, I have had my profile filled in for years, but I have yet to come across a site that utilizes this feature. It's based on the vCard standard AFAIK, and it seems simple enough in theory. Now, finding the time to actually DO it... LOL!

by idog

Consider the accessibility issues with relying on colors alone to signify anything. Consider the accessibility issues related to tables.

I'm not saying "tables" are always out, but even the W3C recommends the use of CSS for layout. I wouldn't have been surprised is this was written 3 or 4 years ago, but the recommendations made in this article are antiquated at best.

by sean-d

As mentioned in the article, one of the most annoying things is when an error occurs and then you have to re-enter all your info again.

Also, a big problem I find is Zip Code. Being from a country where we don't have Zip Codes, I am constantly forced to make up a zip code since nearly every form forces you to enter one. Some are even developed not to accept 00000 where I then actually have to try and make up a "real" zip code. I think Zip Codes should be optional.

by dgibson.net

First, keeping an entire form on the screen is not always possible, so let's not even mention it. It's fine to say keep it short, and recommend multi-part forms if needed.

Second, don't RECOMMEND table layout when CSS is sweeping the web. There are many ways to lay out a form and I do it often without tables or fancy CSS. Not to mention the code displayed for using tables does not properly nest the FORM and /FORM inside the TABLE and FirstTR and LastTR and /FORM as they should to avoid excess whitespace in older browsers (namely NS4).

Also, there is no mention of the vastly unknown and underutilized, yet STANDARD LABEL tag. I absolutely hate working with checkboxes and radio buttons without LABELs. Did you know this is a requirement for accessibility?

Get out and find some good advice on forms, because there's little of it here.

This discussion is closed to new replies.