How to Design the Optimal Form Layout: 12 UX Best Practices for 2024
A well-designed form layout is essential for providing a smooth user experience and driving conversions. Whether you‘re creating an ecommerce checkout flow, event registration page, or email signup box, your form‘s structure, appearance, and interactivity can make or break its usability and effectiveness.
By applying UX design best practices and staying up-to-date on the latest digital trends, you can craft web forms that delight users and achieve business objectives. While there are no one-size-fits-all solutions, these 12 key principles will steer you in the right direction in 2024 and beyond.
- Use a single-column format
Placing form fields in a single vertical column will make your form easier to follow and faster to fill out. Eye-tracking studies show that people complete single-column forms up to 15.4 seconds faster compared to multi-column layouts. With a single column, users can work from top to bottom without having to reorient themselves.
The only exception is fields that are closely related, such as first and last name or city and state. In those cases, placing the fields in a row can save vertical space without sacrificing clarity.
- Left-align text and form fields
Align all form labels and input fields to the left side of the page. Since left-aligned text is easiest to read, this natural positioning will help users quickly scan and understand your form. Right-justified or centered layouts force users to work harder to comprehend the content flow.
When using traditional top-aligned labels (not inline labels), also make sure to left-align the labels above their corresponding fields. Placing labels to the left of fields in a horizontal layout can work for short forms, but creates excessive visual distance in longer forms.
- Implement a responsive, mobile-first design
In 2024, over 60% of web traffic comes from mobile devices. To avoid losing out on a huge number of potential conversions, your web form must be fully optimized for mobile interaction.
Start by designing for small screens first to ensure the form scales well across all viewports. Key mobile optimizations include:
- Making form fields stretch the full width of the screen
- Providing adequate space between fields for touch interaction
- Using mobile-friendly input elements like date pickers and numeric keyboards
- Keeping forms as short as possible to reduce data entry
- Disabling autocorrect and autocapitalization for name, email, and address fields
- Using top-aligned labels to maximize the available tap area
- Leverage inline form field labels
Inline form labels (also known as floating labels) are placed inside empty form fields and transition to a smaller label above the field when the user starts typing. This approach saves space, looks modern, and keeps the label in close proximity to the user‘s focus area.
When implementing inline labels, make sure the label text is large enough to read and has sufficient color contrast against the background. The labels should also remain visible instead of disappearing so that users don‘t have to rely on their short-term memory.
- Break up long forms into multiple steps
If your form contains more than 6-8 fields, divide it into multiple pages or accordions to reduce perceived length and cognitive load. Users are more likely to start and complete a form that appears shorter and less daunting at first glance.
When splitting up the form, group related questions together into logical sections. For instance, personal contact details (name, email, phone) can go on the first page, while delivery and payment information can be placed on subsequent pages.
Make sure to include a progress bar that accurately conveys the number of steps and the user‘s current position. This manages expectations and motivates users to complete the workflow.
- Communicate errors with inline validation
Real-time, inline form validation alerts users to problems as soon as they finish an incorrect field. This prevents users from struggling to locate errors after submitting the form, reducing frustration and drop-off.
Inline error messages should appear next to the relevant field, with a clear explanation of what went wrong and how to resolve it. Supplement the instructional text with an attention-grabbing visual indicator like a red outline or warning icon.
It‘s equally important to provide positive inline validation when the user successfully completes a field. Replacing the error state with a green checkbox will give users confidence that they are on track.
- Build trust through brand consistency
Your form‘s appearance plays a key role in convincing users that it is professional and secure. Incorporate your company‘s logo, color palette, typography, and imagery to provide brand affirmation and reassure users they are in the right place.
Avoid the generic styling of default form builders. A cohesive, polished visual design will foster credibility and encourage more users to share their personal information.
- Minimize the number of required fields
The #1 way to reduce form friction is to get rid of unnecessary fields. Shorten your form to the bare minimum of required information to achieve your business objective. For example, an email newsletter signup usually only needs an email address, not a full name and phone number.
If certain fields are optional, mark them clearly. Users may feel misled if seemingly optional fields produce an error message when left blank. Reserve the ‘required‘ designation for truly essential fields, and make non-essential fields optional to increase completion rates.
- Provide helpful tooltips and microcopy
Anticipate common user questions and points of hesitation by embedding helpful tips alongside relevant form fields. Tooltips, placeholder text, and other instructional microcopy can clarify how to properly format inputs, explain why sensitive information is being collected, and reiterate the value of completing the form.
Microcopy should be concise and conversational to avoid weighing down the form. Focus tips on fields that may be prone to errors or abandonment, like the password field in an account creation form or the credit card field in a checkout flow.
- Allow for flexible data entry
Make it as easy as possible for users to fill out your form by accepting multiple data formats and entry methods. For example, let users type a credit card number with or without spaces, enter a phone number with parentheses or dashes, and select a date from a calendar widget or directly type it in their preferred format.
Enable autofill so that browsers can suggest relevant information to speed up the process. Use semantic input types like email and tel to display the appropriate mobile keyboards. Providing an ‘address lookup‘ tool to autocomplete location details based on the user‘s ZIP code is another time-saving option.
- Consider conversational form UIs
For certain use cases, a chat-based form interface may convert better than a traditional web form. Conversational UIs guide users through a series of questions in a familiar, friendly format. This is especially effective for mobile users and lead generation forms.
With a conversational form, you can ask for one piece of information at a time, show or hide subsequent questions based on previous responses, and create a more engaging interaction. Tools like Typeform and HubSpot‘s chatbot builder make it easy to design conversational forms without coding.
- Collect data responsibly
In the age of GDPR, CCPA and other privacy legislation, it‘s critical to collect data ethically and transparently. Make sure you have a clear reason for requesting each piece of user information. Avoid collecting ‘nice to have‘ details that aren‘t essential for your business purposes.
Provide a link to your privacy policy explaining how you will store and process the submitted data. For sensitive fields like phone numbers, include a checkbox for users to explicitly consent to being contacted. Fines for noncompliance with privacy laws can be steep, so it‘s well worth optimizing your forms to minimize legal risk.
Boost Conversion with Better Form Design
The way you design and lay out your web forms has a direct impact on conversions, user satisfaction, and business outcomes. By adhering to these 12 UX best practices, you can create frictionless, high-converting forms that transform more visitors into leads and customers.
Remember, form optimization is an ongoing process. Analyze behavioral data from analytics and user testing to continuously refine your forms. A/B test different variations to maximize completion rates. Stay on top of evolving design trends and interaction patterns to provide the most intuitive, seamless form experience.
With a thoughtful, user-centric form layout and a commitment to data-responsible practices, you‘ll be well-positioned to grow your business through this critical conversion point in 2024 and beyond.