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Subject:Re: FORMS DESIGN From:Dominique de Vet <Dominique -dot- deVet -at- LET -dot- RUU -dot- NL> Date:Thu, 20 Jan 1994 17:25:24 +0000
> Has anyone had experience with designing forms or know of any books that
> would be of help in designing forms?
Recently there has been some research in the Netherlands in the field of forms
design that might be of some interest. Results of these Dutch studies have
been published in the US in two articles by Jansen & Steehouder: one in the
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication 22 (2), 1992, p. 179-194
(title: 'Forms as a source of communication problems'), and one in Pander
Maat & Steehouder (eds.), Studies in functional text quality', Amsterdam/
Atlanta, Rodopi, 1992, p. 159-172 (title: Optimizing the Quality of forms).
Both articles contain lists of references; some important ones (from
the English-written literature) might be the following:
Frohlich, D.M. 'On the organisation of form-filling behaviour'.
Information Design Journal, 5, 1986, pp. 43-59.
Holland, V.M., & J.C. Redish. Strategies for understanding forms and
other public documents. Document Design Center, American Institutes for
Research, Washington DC, 1981.
Wright, P., 'Informed design for forms'. In: R. Easterby & H. Zwaga
(eds.). Information design; The design and evaluation of signs and printed
material. Chichester, 1981, pp. 545-577.
Wright, P., 'Strategy and tactics in the design of forms'. Visible
language, 14, 1980, pp. 151-193.
Carel Jansen
Utrecht University
The Netherlands
email address: Carel -dot- J -dot- Jansen -at- let -dot- ruu -dot- nl