Form design includes various cues and aides to help the user understand how to use the form and complete it correctly. Without proper aides, forms will be submitted incomplete or improperly filled in resulting in Not In Good Order (NIGO) transactions which are costly to handle.

Section Headings

QUIK! TIP: Use a concise section heading to help the user understand groups of information.

Each section of a document that logically organizes a set of information should have a proper section heading that tells the user what type of information is expected. A section heading also makes it easier for the user to communicate with others about the form in order to complete the form. A section heading should be precise and concise.

QUIK! TIP: Use concise instructions where appropriate to clarify what is expected of the user.

While very few documents provide an overall set of instructions, those documents that do provide some instructions are usually easier to understand. The actual act of creating the instructions forces the form author to assess whether the form is easy to follow based on the instructions themselves. By writing out the instructions, the form author is more likely to revise the design of the form to make the instructions easier to follow. In addition, users who have instructions are less likely to make mistakes or require assistance. Instructions should be placed at the beginning of the form and throughout the sections where appropriate. When adding instructions to sections, make the instructions as simple as possible (e.g. ―check all that apply‖ or ―choose only one‖).

Symbols

QUIK! TIP: Use symbols sparingly and use symbols that are common amongst the users.

Symbols are any characters or graphics that are used to instruct the user what to do. A common symbol used with required fields is the asterisk (*) with a footnote that indicates that required fields are denoted by the asterisk. Other symbols are helpful, such as numbering sections and questions, or adding bullet-points to highlight key areas of a form. Use of symbols should be reserved to only those areas where necessary, as overuse causes the symbol to become ineffective.

Checkboxes

QUIK! TIP: Use a box to indicate a checkbox and make all checkboxes the same size on the form.

Checkbox graphics are very helpful to tell a user that they can simply choose a pre-existing value by placing a check mark next to one or more items. There are a variety of checkbox graphics, but the most common are the square and circle. The square is the best to use as most users know to put a checkmark or an ―X‖ in the box. Circles are less common and more confusing because the circle implies that it should be filled in; however, users are more familiar with putting in a checkmark and therefore must stop and consider if they should fill in the circle or put in a checkmark. Plus, from an automation standpoint, when the user clicks a circle, a checkmark will appear and checkmarks do not fit into the space provided by a circle as effectively as a box.

Bullets

QUIK! TIP: Do not use a checkbox symbol to represent a bullet – use a different symbol for bullets.

When designing a form, usage of a box to indicate a checkbox selection should ONLY be used when the user is expected to make a selection. In other words, do not use a checkbox graphic for a bullet point or at a section heading if the user is not supposed to select the item.

Checkbox Sizing

Be sure to make the checkbox box the same size throughout the form for consistency – differing sizes confuse the user and some checkboxes may be ignored as a result.

Checkbox Instructions

QUIK! TIP: Include checkbox instructions when it is not obvious how to fill out a checkbox.

When including a checkbox option on a form, it is helpful to put instructions near the checkbox to tell the user how many checkboxes they can select. The only exception to this guideline is when the checkbox options are obviously mutually exclusive (e.g. ―Male‖ vs. ―Female‖, ―True‖ vs ―False‖, ―Yes‖ vs ―No‖, etc). Some sample instructions include:

• "Check all that apply"
• "Check as many as necessary"
• Choose only one option"
• "Choose up to three options"