When you are making a digital form, is it OK to put a hint inside a text box? The short version of my advice: don’t do it! Hint text is rarely effective as a way of helping users, but insteadContinue reading… Don’t put hints inside text boxes in web forms
Author: Caroline Jarrett
Designing forms for technical specialists
I had the opportunity to give a talk on forms at the EBI, part of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL). “EBI provides freely available data from life science experiments, performs basic research in computational biology and offers an extensiveContinue reading… Designing forms for technical specialists
Can I use an asterix to indicate optional fields?
I was asked recently: ‘Our form has many required fields and few optional fields. We want to use an asterisk to indicate the optional fields. Do you agree?’ It makes sense but it is also a bad idea. The problemContinue reading… Can I use an asterix to indicate optional fields?
Design to read workshop – call for participation
Designing for people who do not read easily will actually improve usability for everyone, argues Caroline Jarrett
Forms that Work: book by Caroline Jarrett and Gerry Gaffney
Forms that Work by Caroline Jarrett and Gerry Gaffney is published. The authors explain where to get the book and in 2025 update the post to explain why they won’t be doing a new edition.
Liverpool 2008 Design to read – workshop proposal
This workshop proposal, co-authored with Kate Grant, William Wong, Nisha Kodagoda and Kathryn Summers, was submitted to the British HCI Group conference in Liverpool, 2008. We were accepted and went on to hold the workshop at the conference. This versionContinue reading… Liverpool 2008 Design to read – workshop proposal
Buttons on forms – where to put them and what to call them
Here’s a question that I get asked quite often: “Does the ‘OK’ button go to the left or the right of the ‘Cancel’ button?” A common variant: ask the same question with ‘Back’ or ‘Previous’ instead of ‘Cancel’, and maybeContinue reading… Buttons on forms – where to put them and what to call them
Delivering Better Ballots
“An election is not held to test voters’ ability to follow instructions, but to receive instructions from the voters as to which candidates they will elect. No legitimate public purpose is served by designs that distort those instructions.” It’s goodContinue reading… Delivering Better Ballots
Usability of content is plain language: the USA Plain Language Act
Caroline Jarrett welcomes the advent of the US Government’s Plain Language in Government Communications Act with a reminder of what plain language is and what it isn’t.
People before pixels: what to think about before you start
Caroline Jarrett discusses putting users first in your forms design by choosing to keep, cut, postpone or explain the questions you are asking.