Forms workshop at the UK cross-government content meetup, Longbenton, Newcaste, June 2016. Led by Caroline Jarrett.

1. Caroline Jarrett @cjforms
How to look at
the content in
a form
Content meetup, Longbenton, June 2016

2. It’s a form
if it …
Looks like a
form and
works like a
form
Asks
questions
and expects
answers
Allows
someone
to achieve
a goal
2

3. Design is important for forms
Looks like a
form and
works like a
form
Interaction
Design
Asks
questions
and expects
answers
Content
Design
Allows
someone
to achieve
a goal
Service
Design3

4. Start with users’ needs
Users’
needs
(and business ones)
Allows
someone
to achieve
a goal
The answers
you need
The questions
you ask
Asks
questions
and expects
answers
Where you
put the pixelsLooks like a
form and
works like a
form
4

5. A great form works well across
all three layers
Relationship
Conversation
Appearance
Easy to get it done
Easy to move on
Goals achievedEasy to understand
Easy to answer
Goals achievedEasy to use
Easy to read
Schema from “Forms that work: Designing web forms for usability”, Jarrett and Gaffney (2008) www.formsthatwork.com5

6. 6
How to look at a form

7. Step 1
7
Don’t look at it
yet

8. Step 2
8
Choose a persona
Write the story of why that
persona is filling in the form
write down
your assumptions

9. Step 3
9
Fill in the form
as that persona,
as honestly as you can
keep notes

10. Step 4
10
Now look at it
How did it work across
the three layers?
Appearance
Conversation
Relationship

11. Step 5
11
Do user research
Appearance: How do users interact in practice?
Conversation: What words do users actually use?
Relationship: What are the real users like?
What are their needs?

12. 12
Paying for a parking ticket

13. 13
I need to pay
a parking ticket
in Newcastle.
I’ve lost the ticket.

14. 14
I need to pay
a parking ticket
in Newcastle.
I’ve lost the ticket.
Notice the words

15. 15
I need to pay
a parking ticket
in Newcastle.
I’ve lost the ticket.
Words?

16. 16
I need to pay
a parking ticket
in Newcastle.
I’ve lost the ticket.
Words in context

17. 17
I need to pay
a parking ticket
in Newcastle.
I’ve lost the ticket.
Will I read this?

18. 18
I need to pay
a parking ticket
in Newcastle.
I’ve lost the ticket.
What about this?

19. 19
I need to pay
a parking ticket
in Newcastle.
I’ve lost the ticket.
Oh dear.

20. 20
How to look at a form

21. Tip
Be kind.
Whenever we’re looking at a form,
we know that people have worked hard
to improve it from the previous version.
21 Image credit: Caroline Jarrett

22. Step 1
22
Don’t look at it
yet

23. Step 2
23
Choose a persona
Write the story of why that
persona is filling in the form
write down
your assumptions

24. Image credit: Caroline Jarrett
“We’ve started to pay the Keeper”
Friends decide to turn their hobby into a club

25. Step 3
25
Fill in the form
as that persona,
as honestly as you can
keep notes

26. 26
Go to GOV.UK
Search for CT41(g)
http://bit.ly/concon16

27. Step 4
27
Now look at it
How did it work across
the three layers?
Appearance
Conversation
Relationship

28. Tip
Pick the most important thing
28
1 __________
2 ________________
3 _________________________________

29. Step 5
29
Do user research
Appearance: How do users interact in practice?
Conversation: What words do users actually use?
Relationship: What are the real users like?
What are their needs?

30. 30
1. Don’t look at it.
2. Choose a persona and write the story of
why that persona is filling in this form.
3. Fill in the form as that persona,
as honestly as you can.
4. Now look at it.
How did it work across the three layers?
5. Do user research
Investigate your assumptions
How to look at a form

31. 31
Easy to understand
Easy to answer

32. Are these familiar words?
Please fill in and return this form to us as soon as possible to
help us update our records.
• You should operate PAYE and deduct National Insurance
contributions from all remuneration paid, including honorariums and
fees paid or credited to employees and office holders.
• You must send us a return of all annual payments you make,
including some interest payments, and the Income Tax deducted
from them.
Throughout this form the word ‘club’ means club, society, voluntary
association and other similar body.
32

33. Simple language isn’t always plain language
33

34. Language is plain if we can…
34
Find what
we need
Understand
what we find
Act
Inspiration: Ginny Redish’s definition http://www.plainlanguage.gov/whatispl/ Images: shutterstock.com

35. Tip
Test your forms with people
Ask them to explain to you what the questions mean to
them, and what answers they would like to give.
35 Image credit: Caroline Jarrett

36. The “dolphin = rhino or shark?” problem
36 Image credit: Corel Draw
Ms Dolphin, please identify yourself as one of these:

37. Questions with only ‘yes’ and ‘no’ answers
can be tricky
37

38. Some possible answers to the question
Is the club a charity?
o No, and we don’t have any plans to be a charity
o We’ve applied to be a charity but we don’t yet have the number
o Yes, and our number is XXXXX
38

39. 39
Easy to get it done
Easy to move on

40. Let’s have another look at that introduction
Please fill in and return this form to us as soon as possible to
help us update our records.
• You should operate PAYE and deduct National Insurance
contributions from all remuneration paid, including honorariums and
fees paid or credited to employees and office holders.
• You must send us a return of all annual payments you make,
including some interest payments, and the Income Tax deducted
from them.
Throughout this form the word ‘club’ means club, society, voluntary
association and other similar body.
40

41. Tip
Track a sample of forms through
your process to find out how you
use the answers
Image credit: Shutterstock41

42. A great form works well across
all three layers
Relationship
Conversation
Appearance
Easy to get it done
Easy to move on
Goals achievedEasy to understand
Easy to answer
Goals achievedEasy to use
Easy to read
Schema from “Forms that work: Designing web forms for usability”, Jarrett and Gaffney (2008) www.formsthatwork.com42

43. 43
More slides http://www.slideshare.net/cjforms

44. 44
twitter @cjforms
caroline.jarrett@effortmark.co.uk
www.effortmark.co.uk
Caroline Jarrett