A refund form asks for a named account field, accepts common spacing, preserves the answer after a format error, and shows a masked review before submission.
Chapter 07 / 14
Help people answer one clear question at a time
Design forms around purpose, understandable labels, and recoverable answers.
Your goalPick a three-field form. Record the purpose of each question, rewrite the labels and hints, and describe one correction and review state.
01 / Begin with the task
The principle
A form asks people to translate their knowledge into the system's fields. Good content makes each question relevant, answerable, and safe to correct.
- Field label
- The visible name of the information a control expects.
- Hint
- Brief guidance that explains a format, purpose, or choice before entry.
- Validation
- A check that helps the person identify and correct an answer.
Ask for information at the point where the task requires it. Put a clear label beside each control and explain unusual formats in a nearby hint. Group related questions. Preserve entered answers through validation and return a specific correction message to the relevant field.
A strong form handles more than the ideal response. It provides a route for uncertainty, optional information, interruptions, and correction. Follow the full task from first answer through review and submission, including the confirmation that tells the person what the service received.
02 / Follow a method
Apply it in four steps
- State why each question serves the person's task.
- Write a persistent label and useful hint for each field.
- Group questions and choose controls that match the answer.
- Design correction, review, and confirmation states.
03 / Compare outcomes
Strong and weak execution
A refund form asks for Bank details in one text box, resets the entry after an error, and moves directly to a generic success message.
Why the outcome changes
The strong form separates information according to the service's checks and gives the person a chance to recognize the account before money moves. The weak form makes both entry and correction ambiguous. Test a pasted value, a mistyped value, and an interrupted review to see whether the answer and purpose stay clear.
04 / Use the method
Practice on a real screen
Pick a three-field form. Record the purpose of each question, rewrite the labels and hints, and describe one correction and review state.
Review your work
- Every question has a clear purpose and visible label.
- Validation preserves the person's answer and explains the correction.
- Review and confirmation show what the service received.
Keep your observation, interpretation, and proposed change together. Use the related patterns to inspect complete interaction states.