Why Radio Buttons and Checkboxes Can’t Co-Exist
Radio buttons and checkboxes have long caused confusion for users. They're often used in the…
Forms
Articles on designing intuitive form components
Why Infield Top-Aligned Labels Beat Floating Labels
Form field label alignment has evolved over time. It’s been five years since I first introduced infield top-aligned labels.
Improve Your Sign-Up Form with Off-White Text Fields
When designing an app, most designers put all their effort into the content pages but overlook the sign-up form.
Why You Shouldn’t Use Solid or Underlined Text Fields
Text fields have evolved stylistically over the years. Designers are getting more creative with them, but sometimes a little too creative.
Why Toggle Tokens Are a Better Alternative to Checkboxes
What interface component would you use for selecting options from a large list? For most designers, checkboxes come to mind.
The Best Way to Display Text Fields
The most common interface component used to request information from users on forms is the text field. They come in various sizes, shapes, and styles.
Why You Should Use a Text Area for Address Form Fields
Have you ever filled out a form and froze on the address field? A research study found that users come to a confusing stop when they encounter the “address line 2” field.
Bad Practices on Phone Number Form Fields
The phone number is one of the trickiest fields to get right. There are many phone number formats users can choose from and they’re often unsure which format is valid.
Bad Practices on Birthdate Form Fields
Asking users for their birthdate on a form is complicated. Birthdates have various formats depending on the country that consist of three separate data strings.
Stop Using Select Menus for Known User Input
Before you decide to use a select menu for a field ask yourself a question. Will users know their input without looking at the list of options?
The Best Place for Error Messages on Forms
Where are you placing the error messages on your form? If they’re not placed where users expect to see them, you could jeopardize their capability to complete your form.
Why Users Make More Errors with Instant Inline Validation
If you're using inline validation on your form, you're slowing users down from completing it. Inline validation displays error messages inline with its offending field.
Why the Email Confirmation Field Must Die
The email address is one of the most corrected form fields. It’s easy to mistype because the input contains a long string of various characters.
Why Your Form Only Needs One Name Field
Does your form have two separate fields for the user's name? If it does, you're making it harder for them to fill out your form. But there's a better way.