Common Misconception About Form Design:

• Forms are often undervalued despite their crucial role in user interactions.
• Many UX professionals and budget holders fail to see the value in investing in form improvements.
• Poorly designed forms can lead to high error rates, inefficiency, and user frustration.
• Digitizing a bad form doesn't fix its inherent issues; it just transfers them to a new medium.

Impact of AI and Modern Technologies:

• AI and machine learning have been integrated into form design since the early '90s, with technologies like OCR.
• These technologies have improved but still face significant limitations, especially in understanding context.
• AI should assist rather than replace human judgment in form design, ensuring critical nuances are captured.
• The balance between automation and human intervention is crucial for effective form design.

Strategies for Ensuring User-Friendly Forms:

• Conduct usability testing by observing users in real-time as they fill out forms.
• Focus on where users direct their attention and identify points of confusion or difficulty.
• Avoid placing labels inside form fields, as they disappear when users start typing, causing confusion.
• Consider the various contexts in which users might fill out forms, such as poor internet connections or different accessibility needs.

Challenges in Form Design Projects:

• Creating design systems that not only include effective components but also guide their appropriate use.
• Encouraging designers and developers to consider the broader context and usability, even under tight deadlines.
• Developing guidance and materials that balance the need for quick implementation with thoughtful, user-centered design.

Emerging Trends in Forms and Surveys:

• The overuse of surveys has led to user fatigue and decreased response rates, undermining their effectiveness.
• AI-driven form filling by browsers can introduce new errors and reduce data accuracy.
• Enhancing user control over browser autofill features to prevent incorrect data entries and improve reliability.

Adding Helpful Friction to Forms:

• For serious forms, like living wills, incorporate steps that require users to reflect and have necessary conversations.
• Use signing ceremonies to create a formal pause, ensuring users consider their decisions carefully.
• Recognize and design for scenarios where multiple people are involved in completing a form, adding layers of complexity and consideration.

Difference Between Forms and Surveys:

• Forms are designed to collect individual responses for specific actions.
• Surveys aggregate data for broader analysis and insights.
• The distinction lies in the intended use of the responses, though the tools and formats can overlap.

Notable Quotes:

• "Your people will hate you if the forms are difficult, and yet everything we do is mediated through forms."
• "AI is basically a giant autocorrect that works on paragraphs, not words."
• "The reading pattern for forms is very different from other materials. It's a laser beam to the input box."
• "Poor form design can lead to error rates over 100%, where forms are repeatedly returned for corrections."
• "We often overlook the importance of forms, even though they are essential to effective business processes."
• "AI technology has advanced, but it still can't replace the nuanced understanding a human brings to form design."
• "Usability testing is vital. Watching real users interact with your forms reveals insights you can't get any other way."
• "The overuse of surveys has led to user fatigue; we need to be more thoughtful about when and how we ask for feedback."
• "Creating a good form is not just about the design but understanding the user's context and needs."
• "Adding friction to forms thoughtfully can ensure users reflect on their answers, especially for serious matters like living wills."

Reference Materials:

• "Surveys That Work: A Practical Guide for Designing and Running Better Surveys" by Caroline Jarrett
• "Forms That Work: Designing Web Forms for Usability" by Caroline Jarrett
• "User Interface Design and Evaluation" by Caroline Jarrett

About Tent Talks

Chicago Camps hosts irregularly scheduled Tent Talks with people from all across the User Experience Design community, and beyond. Who really likes limits, anyway--If it's a cool idea, we'd love to hear about it and share it!

What is a Tent Talk? That's a great question, we'd love to tell you.

Tent Talks are short-form in nature, generally lasting from 10-20 minutes (ish) in a recorded format--we like to think of them as "S'mores-sized content" because that's pretty on-brand. Tent Talks can be a presentation on a topic, a live Q&A session about the work we do, or the work around the work we do, or really just about anything--we don't want to limit ourselves, or you.

You should send along an idea or topic of your own so we can learn from you, as well! You don't have to be a published author or a professional speaker on a circuit to be good at your job, so please, put yourself forward, and let's have some fun, talk, and share your experience with others!