--- tytul: "8 Form Design Best Practices" opis: "A form nobody abandons: only essential fields, a single column, clear validation and sensible labels. Discover 8 practices with examples." adres: https://justidea.agency/en/blog/form-design-best-practices/ serwis: "JustIdea Agency" jezyk: pl zrodlo: automatyczny odpowiednik strony HTML, generowany przy każdym buildzie --- Article # 8 Best Practices for Designing User-Friendly Forms A form nobody abandons: only essential fields, a single column, clear validation and sensible labels. Discover 8 practices with examples. [![Dawid Kabała](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/dawidk-73500cf2.webp) Dawid Kabała Team Leader Creative Designer](https://justidea.agency/en/author/dawid-kabala/) 8 March 2022 3 min read 8 sections ![8 best practices for designing forms](https://justidea.agency/_astro/szablon-8-16-1-616289bb.DKmT2mI-.webp) Design Trusted by ![LPP](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/lpp-logo-2-b64d3a02.svg) ![House](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/logo-house-c706eeae.svg) ![Toyota](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/toyota2-1-63c6570a.webp) ![Fame MMA](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/fame-ffb4e0d0.webp) ![Surf Inc.](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/surfinc-91e5b73d.webp) ![LyoFood](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/lyo-cb899d46.webp) ![ExpertSender](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/expert-ca00548d.webp) ![Purinova](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/purinova-217da6ab.webp) ![Mennica Gdańska](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/mennica-98166c12.webp) ![Group IB](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/group-ib-b711171e.webp) ![Smart Kids Planet](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/smart-kids-151311c5.webp) ![SuperSonic](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/supersonic-a35404fe.webp) ![Wierzynek](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/wierzynek-1-d027e7cc.webp) ![RegoBis](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/regobis-a8b446e3.webp) **In this article** 1. 01Ask only for essential data 2. 02Group fields into logical blocks 3. 03A single-column form 4. 04Match field length to the amount of content 5. 05Clear validation 6. 06Think about labels 7. 07Call to action 8. 08Radio buttons instead of a drop-down menu Share We come across forms every day: shopping online, setting up accounts on social platforms, filling in documents. If a **form** is going to help you achieve a specific business goal, you need to make sure it's as well **optimised** for the user as possible, since nobody likes filling in paperwork. Read the tips below and make your forms more user-friendly. ## Ask only for essential data ![Ask only for essential data](https://justidea.agency/_astro/1-2-183a77eb.DO8azYiv_5SP8Q.webp) Ask only for essential data The more fields a form has, the more reluctant people are to fill it in. A form that's too long is one of the most common causes of abandoned carts, so only ask the user for data you actually need to achieve your **business goal**. ## Group fields into logical blocks ![Group fields into logical blocks](https://justidea.agency/_astro/2-1-5737fd82.BVwiXl7R_Z1T46Ar.webp) Group fields into logical blocks Especially with more extensive forms, it's worth considering splitting the layout into **logical blocks**, for example delivery information clearly separated from the personal details section. This makes it easier for users to fill in the whole form. ## A single-column form ![A single-column form](https://justidea.agency/_astro/3-1-b089d53a.C9NsxfBX_2fgpdH.webp) A single-column form A **single-column form** is easy to read, greatly reduces the chance of a field being missed, and looks best on mobile devices. There are, of course, moments when it's better to place a few fields side by side (for example, street name next to house/flat number), so you always need to adapt the field layout to your own needs, but when you look at the layout of the whole form, a single column is the most optimal solution. ## Match field length to the amount of content Building on the previous point, always try to match the size of a **form field** to the amount of content that needs to be entered. Having all fields the same width can confuse the user, for example when the field for a street name is the same length as the one for a flat number. On top of that, shortening certain fields lets you save some space by placing them on the same line. ![Match field length to the amount of content](https://justidea.agency/_astro/4-1-b9a834eb.C2L2qP91_ZKG88i.webp) Match field length to the amount of content ## Clear validation If you care about designing a user-friendly form, make sure error **messages** are simple and logical. Clearly mark a field filled in incorrectly and explain to the user, in an understandable way, how to fill in the form correctly. ![Clear validation](https://justidea.agency/_astro/5-b0d3571d.1Ch15x3U_1cujuF.webp) Clear validation ## Think about labels When designing a form, pay attention to **form labels**. Make sure the label text is simple and short, and place it above the field to be filled in. Also remember to keep proper spacing, so there's no confusion about which label belongs to which field. ![Think about labels](https://justidea.agency/_astro/6-cc23df3e.C07AY2Sj_Z1Bmxdw.webp) Think about labels ## Call to action Avoid generic messages on buttons. Always try to make **CTA** text a clear message that explains exactly what will happen when the button is clicked. ![Call to action](https://justidea.agency/_astro/7-7ff6a541.Ya5M8Tmd_1XGebV.webp) Call to action ## Radio buttons instead of a drop-down menu The rule of thumb is that if there are fewer than 6 options to choose from, **radio buttons** placed one under another work better than a drop-down menu, which requires an extra action to see all the available options. ![Radio buttons instead of a drop-down menu](https://justidea.agency/_astro/8-64578bf3.CvtiIMOC_Z1AM1Mv.webp) Radio buttons instead of a drop-down menu [Building websites](https://justidea.agency/en/services/websites/) is a very complex process that requires knowledge from many fields. If you feel you need help with this, our [interactive agency](https://justidea.agency/en/) will be happy to support you at every stage of planning your business online. ![Dawid Kabała](https://justidea.agency/obrazy/dawidk-73500cf2.webp) Written by [Dawid Kabała](https://justidea.agency/en/author/dawid-kabala/) Team Leader Creative Designer Have a question about this article? Write to us. Want this in your business ## Let's turn this knowledge into results in your store 30 minutes about your numbers. The call starts with someone from sales, and we bring in the channel specialist once we get into the details. The call is free of charge. Book a call about your numbers [See how we design online stores](https://justidea.agency/en/services/creative-agency/website-and-store-design/) Client reviews ## Ratings of the agency that runs this blog Clients gave them after working with us, and you can read each one on the site where it was posted. 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