Web page User experience: Web page registration Form Design Analysis

Web page Production WEBJX article introduction: the design nature of Web forms for Web sites.

With the development of the network, people use it in various ways. Today, online shopping, chatting with friends or people you don't know, managing bank accounts, and some day-to-day applications, sharing photos or videos, and so on. As a matter of fact, applications that can be used online are basically already there.

Although these diverse applications enrich the Internet, the completion of these tasks requires a number of steps. Whether it's online transaction validation, commenting on new articles, or managing an application, Web Forms always appear in people's eyes.

Why is it a Web Form ?

On Web pages, Web Forms connect users, information, Web products, or services. They promote sales, capture user behavior, build communication and communication, and more. These important interactions are not just to keep the business running, they also allow users to achieve the goals they want to achieve. So why don't we pay more attention to Web Form design?

Perhaps people think that Web forms are "some input boxes and submit buttons" that can appear in any location to "collect the necessary data" for the user. Maybe they don't realize that optimizing Web forms can get a lot of meaningful results (like an annual income increase of 3 million dollars an additional million). More likely, they are simply designing Web forms for their own use rather than for their users.

It's not data entry.

No one really wants to fill out a form, they want something else: buy a book, register to vote, join a forum. They do not practise typing speed through a Web form, they have clear goals. Unfortunately, many Web forms are not designed to target the user's actual goals.

Take a look at this simple form on the social networking site Brightkite. If you put "keep in touch with friends, meet new friends, find new places" as a promotional advertisement, he or she only needs to register a new account number (figure I).

figure I: Registration form on Brightkite (April 2008)

To start registration, the user must select a user name that can only be English characters or digits, 3 to 15 characters long, can include underscores, cannot have spaces, and cannot be a user name that already exists. Do these requirements allow people to choose a username that best represents them? No, these are just the system conditions that force users to deal with the site's security module or background data structure.

The next set of questions is even harder to start. Brightkite needs your email address to send a confirmation message. You need a password of at least 3 characters long and repeat it to prevent you from randomly typing a few characters to Brightkite. Then you prove that you are a living person by answering the encrypted code and agreeing to the website privacy Agreement and terms of service.

Keep in touch with friends, meet new people and find new places where are these features? These are the services that people actually want, but these goals are not mentioned when filling out a form. Instead, the entire experience process was replaced by brightkite some of the information formats that were required of you.

In contrast to Brightkite is the Tookmark registration form (Figure II), Tookmark function is to send users to the collection site daily reminder mail. All items are directly related to the user's goal: Where do you want your alerts sent to (email address)? What is the name of the favorite folder you want to use (cute nickname)? Even the statement used by the Submit button is closely related to the task: "Take a look at it now", click to jump to a virtual mailbox and teach the user what to do next.

figure II: Tookmark Registration form (December 2008)

The whole process of filling out Tookmark's registration form feels like being close to one's goal, rather than making it feel like handing over your information to an organization, which is an important difference. When people think they've got what they want, they go on, and if they don't, they give up.

Make a change

At this point, some savvy readers will point out that the above two registration form examples come from two different applications, so tookmark this way is not applied to brightkite, they will argue that some situations do need to collect enough user data to get a valid account number.

At this point, Web Forms designed for users can start making some changes. Instead of thinking about information gathering and user accounts in a database, think more about what information allows people to reach their goals with minimal cost and a clear experience, so they don't ask, "Why do I need to fill in these things?"

Not all Web applications are like Tookmark, and each application has a goal to interact with the user. Focusing on core goals can help you to dig out the information that Web Forms need. When you are designing a Web form, consider a few things:

1, this information is not what users want (core goals)? If not, users are likely to have questions about these requirements.

2, is there a better time to collect this information? Collecting data from users while they are trying to apply is more likely to be successful than when they are enrolled.

3. Is there a way to explain why some information is required? The information to be collected should be associated with the user's goals and restore their confidence to continue the process behind them.

4. Is there a better way to gather the information you need? Of course, Web Forms are not the only way to get user data online.

To achieve the effect, let's look at the brightkite redesign of the user experience (figure III), "Keep in touch with friends" in front of the page. The main features on the home page from the registration of the new account into the invite users to contact their friends on Facebook. This one-click process discards the cumbersome registration form shown in Figure one, providing people with existing identities and friends (from Facebook).

Figure three: Brightkite home (November 2009)

Although Brightkite and Tookmark are different services, they can avoid using long-winded sign-up forms, express their service core intent through simple interactions, and drive users to success quickly.

If we do the right thing, there will be almost no form of form, which is the essence of creating Web Forms.