forms Articles & Videos

  • A Checklist for Designing Mobile Input Fields

    When you design an input field for use on mobile devices, check whether it satisfies this list of 14 usability requirements.

  • Don’t Prioritize Efficiency Over Expectations: The Case of Autosave

    Features meant to increase user efficiency by reducing steps can end up hurting users if they do not conform to existing mental models and expectations based on past experiences.

  • Radio Buttons: Select One by Default or Leave All Unselected?

    Select a single radio button by default in most cases. Reasons to deviate or not: expedite tasks, the power of suggestion, user expectations, safety nets.

  • Placeholders in Form Fields Are Harmful

    Labels or sample text inside a form field makes it difficult for people to remember what information belongs in that field once they start data entry.

  • Form Design Quick Fix: Group Form Elements Effectively Using White Space

    Improve the layout of your online forms by placing form labels near the associated text field and by grouping similar fields.

  • HealthCare.gov’s Account Setup: 10 Broken Usability Guidelines

    HealthCare.gov’s account setup process is unnecessarily complex and may have contributed to backend technology failures.

  • OK-Cancel or Cancel-OK? The Trouble With Buttons

    Should the OK button come before or after the Cancel button? Following platform conventions is more important than optimizing an individual dialog box.

  • Progressive Disclosure

    Progressive disclosure defers advanced or rarely used features to a secondary screen, making applications easier to learn and less error-prone.

  • Forms vs. Applications

    Once an online form goes beyond two screenfulls, it's often a sign that the underlying functionality is better supported by an application, which offers a more interactive user experience.

  • Checkboxes vs. Radio Buttons

    User interface guidelines for when to use a checkbox control and when to use a radio button control. Twelve usability issues for checkboxes and radio buttons.

  • Reset and Cancel Buttons

    Most Web forms would have improved usability if the Reset button was removed. Cancel buttons are also often of little value on the Web.