The Features of Highly Effective Forms [SmashingConf NYC 2016]

THE FEATURES OF 
HIGHLY EFFECTIVE
FORMS
Aaron Gustafson
@AaronGustafson
slideshare.net/AaronGustafson

Make every field
fight for its place in
your forms.

PercentageofUsersConverted
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Number of Fields
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
http://is.gd/field_count_conversion

MICHAEL AAGAARD, UNBOUNCE
I finally convinced the client to let me
remove three form fields. I wanted to 
remove more, but I could only get away  
with removing three. But that’s still one  
third of the form fields – a lot less friction.
The result? 14% drop in conversion.
http://is.gd/fewer_fields_fewer_conversions

IIChoose your 
words carefully

How does this photo make you feel?
Embarrassing
Upsetting
Saddening
Bad Photo
Other

How does this photo make you feel?
Embarrassing
Upsetting
Saddening
Bad Photo
◉ Other it’s embarrassing

Please describe the photo
It’s embarrassing
It’s a bad photo of me
It makes me sad

Talk to your users
like they talk 
to one another.

Make it clear users
need to respond

“What’s your first name?”

“Without your first name, I won’t 
know how to address you. 
Could you please provide it?”

IIIMake good 
markup choices

Who you gonna call?
<input name=“calling”>

<label>Who you gonna call?</label>

<label for=“calling”>Who you gonna call?</label>
<input id=“calling” name=“calling”>

<label>
Who you gonna call?
</label>

<label for=“calling”>
Who you gonna call?
</label>

<input type=“submit” value=“Sign In”>
Sign In

<button type=“submit”>Sign In</button>
Sign In

<a href=“#” class=“button”>Sign In</a>
Sign In

<div class=“button”>Sign In</div>
Sign InSign In

<input type=“submit” value=“Sign In”>
Sign In
Appearance Seen As Focusable Activates Submits Forms
Button Button Yes Yes Yes

<button type=“submit”>Sign In</button>
Sign In
Button Button Yes Yes Yes

<a href=“#” class=“button” role=“button”>Sign In</a>
Sign In
Inline Text Link Yes Kinda No
JS dependency
<
JS dependency
<
ARIA dependency
<CSS dependency
<

<div class=“button” role=“button” tabindex=“0”>Sign In</div>
Sign InSign In
Block Text Generic No No No
JS dependency
<
JS dependency
<
ARIA dependency
<CSS dependency
<
HTML dependency
<

THE FEATURES OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE FORMS
<input type=“text” id=“calling” name=“calling”>
Free Response

Free Response (is the default)

<label for=“email”>What’s Your Business Email Address?</label>
<input type=“email” id=“email” name=“email”>
Free Response: Email
Appearance Native Validation Custom Keyboard
Text Field Maybe Maybe

Browsers ignore
what they don’t
understand

<label for=“url”>What’s Your Website’s URL?</label>
<input type=“url” id=“url” name=“url”>
Free Response: URL
Text Field Maybe Maybe

<label for=“time_at_job”>How Many Years Have You Been 
in Your Current Position?</label>
<input type=“number” id=“time_at_job” name=“time_at_job”>
Free Response: Number
Text Field+ Maybe Maybe

Choose One
It’s embarrassing
It makes me sad

<label>
<input type=“radio” name=“reason” value=“embarrassing”>
It’s embarrassing
</label>
<label>
<input type=“radio” name=“reason” value=“bad photo”>
</label>
<label>
<input type=“radio” name=“reason” value=“saddening”>
It makes me sad
</label>
Choose One

<label for=“reason”>Please describe the photo</label>
<select id=“reason” name=“reason”>
<option value=“embarrassing”>It’s embarrassing</option>
<option value=“bad photo”>It’s a bad photo of me</option>
<option value=“saddening”>It makes me sad</option>
</select>
Choose One

<label for=“reason”>Please describe the photo</label>
<select id=“reason” name=“reason”>
<option>It’s embarrassing</option>
<option>It’s a bad photo of me</option>
<option>It makes me sad</option>
</select>
Choose One

Radio controls can
outperform select
dropdowns by 
as much as 15%
http://is.gd/radio_vs_dropdown

<label for=“volume">How Loud is Spinal Tap?</label>
<input type=“range" id=“volume" name=“volume”
min=“0” max=“11” step=“1”
>
Choose One: Number
Slider (Maybe) Maybe No

<label for=“volume">How Loud is Spinal Tap?</label>
<input type=“range" id=“volume" name=“volume”
min=“0” max=“11” step=“1”
>
Choose One: Number
Slider Maybe No

Choose One or More

Gaming Systems (4 available)
<label>
<input type=“checkbox” name=“reserve[]” value=“DS Lite”>
Nintendo DS Lite
</label>
<label>
<input type=“checkbox” name=“reserve[]” value=“Wii”>
Nintendo Wii
</label>
<label>
<input type=“checkbox” name=“reserve[]” value=“Vita”>
PlayStation Vita
</label>
Choose One or More

<label for=“gaming”>Gaming Systems (4 available)</label>
<select id=“gaming” name=“reserve[]” multiple>
<option value=“DS Lite”>Nintendo DS Lite</option>
<option value=“Wii”>Nintendo Wii</option>
<option value=“Vita”>PlayStation Vita</option>
<option value=“360”>Xbox 360</option>
</select>
Choose One or More

Don’t introduce
unnecessary
complexity.

<label for=“tel”>What’s Your Business Phone Number?</label>
<input type=“tel” id=“tel” name=“business_phone”>
Free Response: Telephone
Text Field No Maybe

We should work harder 
so our users don’t have to.

<label for=“flight”>What flight are you looking for?</label>
<input id="flight" name=“flight”
pattern=“DLd{2,}”
placeholder=“e.g. DL5407”
>
Structured Data: Custom

IVLay out ﬁelds 
with purpose

Field & Label Layouts
Label
Label
Label
Label
Label

Checkboxes & Radio Controls
Embarrassing
Upsetting
Saddening
Bad Photo
Other

<fieldset class=“grouped radios”>
…
<label>
<input type=“radio”
name=“reason”
value=“embarrassing”>
It’s embarrassing
</label>
…
</fieldset>
Embarrassing

.confirmation label,
.radios label,
.checkboxes label {
margin: -1em 0;
padding: 1em 0;
}
Embarrassing

Don’t fall into the
custom control trap.

VHelps users avoid
(and ﬁx) errors

Let users know when
a field is required.

<p>Fields marked with a * are
<strong id=“required">required</strong>.</p>
…
<label for=“first_name”>What’s Your First Name?
<b role=“presentation” class=“required”>*</b>
</label>
<input id="first_name" name=“first_name"
required
aria-required=“true"
>
Required Fields

<p><strong>All of the fields are required.</strong></p>
…
<label for=“first_name”>What’s Your First Name?</label>
required
>
Required Fields

Provide useful hints
as to the type of
response you’re
expecting.

<label for=“pattern”>Enter three numbers followed by 
two letters</label>
<input id="pattern" name=“pattern”
pattern=“d{3}[a-zA-Z]{2}”
placeholder=“e.g. 123ab”
>
Suggesting a response

(The placeholder is not 
a substitute for a label.)

LUKE WROBLEWSKI
Our participants were faster, more
successful, less error-prone, and more
satisﬁed when they used the forms with
inline validation.
http://is.gd/inline_form_validation

LUKE WROBLEWSKI
22% increase in success rates
22% decrease in errors made
31% increase in satisfaction rating
42% decrease in completion times
47% decrease in the number of eye ﬁxations
http://is.gd/inline_form_validation

<label for=“first_name”>What’s Your First Name?</label>
required
>
Indicate Required Fields

<label for=“email”>What’s Your Business Email Address?</label>
<input type=“email” id=“email” name=“email”>
Use Native Validation

<label for=“flight”>What flight are you looking for?</label>
<input id="flight" name=“flight”
pattern=“DLd{2,}”
placeholder=“e.g. DL5407”
>
Use Custom Validation Schema

<label for=“email”>Your Email Address</label>
<input id="email" type="email" name=“email"
required aria-required=“true”
aria-invalid=“true”
aria-describedby=“email-error"
>
<strong id="email-error" class=“validation-error-message">
Your email address is required</strong>
Provide Inline Error Messages

Summarize 
server-side errors.

<div role=“alert”>
<p>There were errors with your form submission:</p>
<ol>
<li><a href="#message">Message</a> is a required  
field</li>
<li><a href="#name">Name</a> is a required field</li>
<li><a href="#email">Email</a> is a required field</li>
</ol>
</div>

<li class="text validation-error">

</li>
Provide Visual Feedback of Errors

li.validation-error {
color: #922026;
}
li.validation-error input, li.validation-error select,
li.validation-error textarea {
border-color: #922026;
}

.validation-error label::before {
content: “x ";
font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;
speak: none; /* The future! */
}

The Features of Highly Effective Forms
๏ Consider the conversation
๏ Choose your words carefully
๏ Make good markup choices
๏ Lay out fields with purpose
๏ Help users avoid (and fix) errors
159

Further Reading
๏ “Web Form Design”by Luke Wroblewski (Rosenfeld Media)
๏ “An Extensive Guide To Web Form Usability”by Justin Mifsud 
https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2011/11/extensive-guide-web-form-usability/
๏ “Optimizing forms for greater conversions”by Maya Nix 
http://blog.usabilla.com/optimizing-forms-greater-conversions/
๏ “The Definitive Guide to Form Label Positioning”by Jessica Enders 
http://www.sitepoint.com/definitive-guide-form-label-positioning/
164

Thank you!
@AaronGustafson
aaron-gustafson.com
slideshare.net/AaronGustafson

Questions?
Tweet me at 
@AaronGustafson

The Features of Highly Effective Forms [SmashingConf NYC 2016]

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The Features of Highly Effective Forms [SmashingConf NYC 2016]