Form design should minimize required fields, collecting only essential data. High-friction fields like phone numbers and birthdates often trigger abandonment due to privacy concerns. Use an asterisk (*) to mark whatever fields are required.
Dr. Nielson, I agree with your column. Sadly, the column itself is too long and redundant.
--- You do not mention the need to design forms -and their Colour! - to be user-attractive.
--- When a 'phone number is needed, the field should NOT flash a crimson alarm "Please Enter a valid number" as soon as the first digit is typed. The crimson color is hostile, and the user's entry should not be repelled with a "You idiot, wrong format," message eight or more times when the user is trying to comply.
--- All user satisfaction surveys are too long. They demand too many answers. And they Do Not Offer the respondent a chance to offer her/his own comment. Users may have useful ideas to improve the satisfaction, but when asked several screens of repetitive mandatory questions and then Denied any way to offer ideas that do not fit the "Rank the friendliness of the teammate who answered your call, from 0 to 9" standard mandatory question.
--- I almost never respond to satisfaction queries at all, after too many wretched experiences.
--- Good luck. The general standard is getting worse. / Phil Hocker, Alexandria, VA
Dr. Nielson, I agree with your column. Sadly, the column itself is too long and redundant.
--- You do not mention the need to design forms -and their Colour! - to be user-attractive.
--- When a 'phone number is needed, the field should NOT flash a crimson alarm "Please Enter a valid number" as soon as the first digit is typed. The crimson color is hostile, and the user's entry should not be repelled with a "You idiot, wrong format," message eight or more times when the user is trying to comply.
--- All user satisfaction surveys are too long. They demand too many answers. And they Do Not Offer the respondent a chance to offer her/his own comment. Users may have useful ideas to improve the satisfaction, but when asked several screens of repetitive mandatory questions and then Denied any way to offer ideas that do not fit the "Rank the friendliness of the teammate who answered your call, from 0 to 9" standard mandatory question.
--- I almost never respond to satisfaction queries at all, after too many wretched experiences.
--- Good luck. The general standard is getting worse. / Phil Hocker, Alexandria, VA