Information on good form design for printed forms?

[Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>]

Elizabeth O'Shea wondered: <<I'm looking for a reading list about how 
to design usable printed forms.>>

Can't think of one off the top of my head, but here are a few general 
thoughts that will guide you in the right direction:

- Don't use little square boxes to guide the input. This is intended to 
coerce the user into writing legibly by separating characters, but 
maybe 1 in 10 of these forms that I've used provides enough boxes. If 
you must use boxes, look at the index of your favorite large Atlas 
(either global, or domestic if you're only designing for a domestic 
audience); the column width in characters generally tells you the 
largest name to be found in the book, though you'll have to skim a few 
pages to see if there are any two-line names, and that length should be 
your minimum design criterion for the length of place names. For 
zip/postal codes, provide at least 8 spaces (for U.S. ZIP plus extended 
ZIP format, and for countries like Japan with 7-digit codes).

- Remember your audience. You'd be amazed at how often I see forms from 
U.S. companies that don't know Canada (or anyone else, for that matter) 
exists and insist on a specific entry format. Spanish names, for 
example, can be inordinately long; for example, one of my Mexican 
clients signs her e-mail "Dra. Ma. del Pilar Ortega Larrocea".

- If it will be printed, don't use glossy paper. I can't tell you how 
many forms I've written on where the pen ink rubs off faster than I can 
apply it to the page. If you're publishing the form in a glossy 
magazine, you may have no choice, but everywhere else, avoid glossy 
paper.

- If there's a mathematical skill-testing question, test it! No, 
really. I once filled in a form where the answer wasn't an integer 
(counting number), and confirmed this at home with my calculator. I've 
also seen several quizzes where the correct answer depended on whether 
you performed the math in the order listed (which most people will do) 
or in correct mathematical order (which geeks like me will do). Use 
brackets to make the order crystal clear.

- Try using it. No, really. You'd be amazed at how difficult it is to 
fill in most forms that seem fine, often because they were designed by 
a graphics designer whose only concern was to make the form fit in a 
tiny space so it wouldn't detract from the esthetics of their design. 
(Mostly affects advertisements.) Then there are the forms where it's 
not clear whether the labels are under, above, or beside the blank 
spaces; I frequently fill out a form and arrive at the end, only to 
discover I've started one line too early or too late and either have 
too much room left over, or not enough. (Maybe it's just me? <g.) You'd 
be amazed at how easy it is to spot and fix problems if you'd only ask 
a dozen people to try using the form*. This takes about half an hour, 
and provides quite remarkable improvements in usability.

* I'm not talking rocket science usability testing here. Just ask them 
to fill it in, and report any problems. Then review the results, 
looking for any surprises or errors.

- Provide instructions on the form, both explicitly ("do this...") and 
implicitly; never make people flip the page over for every line so they 
can figure out what to fill in at that point, or juggle multiple pieces 
of paper so they have the instructions handy while they're filling in 
the form. The classic instruction is "use block letters" (to improve 
legibility), but there are many others you should consider. For 
example, label the area code box as such to remind people to fill in 
the extra three digits. Replace "title" ("Lord High Executioner of Bad 
Grammar"?) with checkboxes for Mr., Mrs., Miss, and Dr., and leave a 
blank for "other", with the blank line labeled "other". And so on.

--Geoff Hart   ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca
(try geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com if you don't get a reply)


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