Public form
Design forms that help Albertan citizens understand the task, focus on the question and its answer, and complete the form.
Primary users: citizens, public, external
You are designing a public service for citizens. It should be designed to be as simple and intuitive as possible, while ensuring citizens can make complete and informed decisions for themselves using the service.
There is an emphasis on an accessible experience with a low cognitive load for users who use the service infrequently.
Form structure
Use the public form structure focused on content, and asking the right questions to your user to keep the interaction as simple as possible.
Start with one idea per page
Split the form across multiple pages with each page containing just one idea, for example:
- one decision they have to make
- one question they have to answer
- one piece of information you're telling a user
Starting with one thing per page helps users to:
- understand what you're asking them to do
- focus on specific questions and its answer
- find their way through an unfamiliar process
- use the service on a mobile device
- recover easily from form errors
It also helps the service:
- handle branching questions and loops
- design for mobile use
- save a user’s answers automatically as they go
- capture analytics about each question
Combine questions when helpful
Asking a question doesn’t necessarily mean you should use one form field. For example, asking a user for their address is best captured all on the same page with multiple fields.
Accessibility
Structuring your form with one idea per page simplifies the experience, and makes your form more accessible.
- Reduced cognitive load: Presenting only one idea at a time reduces cognitive load on the user. This is particularly beneficial for users with cognitive impairments, who might find it difficult to process and respond to multiple questions at once.
- Improved navigation for a screen reader: This simplified approach efficiently guides the user through the form based on each answer and makes it easier to navigate with screen readers or other assistive technology.
- Better error handling: With smaller sets of questions validated at a time errors can be identified and addressed in context. This makes it less confusing and less overwhelming for users, particularly those with cognitive impairments and those using assistive technologies.
- Progressive disclosure: One idea per page allows the user to focus on the current task and move through more information slowly. This can be especially beneficial to users who are easily distracted or overwhelmed by too much information.
Adding complexity
Start by making sure that the content and questions you are asking the user are as simple as possible.
As the complexity of your form grows, consider:
- adding simple progress indicators to communicate progress
- breaking the form into sections on a task list page
Form stepper
Avoid using traditional horizontal form steppers for every form. Research has shown that horizontal form steppers shown on every page can distract and confuse some users, take up too much space, and make it hard to handle branching and conditional sections of a form.
As the complexity of your form grows, consider:
- adding simple text progress indicators to communicate progress
- follow the one idea per page approach, and break the form into sections as needed using a task list page
Pages
1. Start page
This is the starting point for a citizen to begin your form from within your service or from Alberta.ca.
2. Task list page (optional)
Outline the entire process for the user and help them through the process by breaking down an experience into individual tasks.
3. Question pages
Ask a user a question or a small set of related questions.
4. Review page
Let users check answers before submitting information to a service.
5. Results page
Let users know that they’ve completed a form, application, or task and tell them what to do next.
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