Why design good forms?
Online forms are an important aspect of website design and they're complex to design well. The Vic Gov best practice online forms provides support to help Victorian agencies and departments create better online forms that help to deliver:
An improved user experience
Streamlined transactions with government
Better online delivery of products or services
Access for everyone, including people with disabilities (such as low or no vision, or low literacy)
Good forms are:
Clear
Concise
Clever
Cooperative
Criteria that must be met
There are specific standards that must be included in the design of an online form. They are:
Following the online form standard (see below)
Security — Forms must comply with the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014. This component is addressed in the secure your service – digital .
Form validation — Forms should include validation checks that return the user to required fields when there are errors or incomplete information.
Payment card industry (PCI) security standards — Forms must adhere to PCI Security that protect cardholder data.
Branding — Content must adhere to Brand standards.
Privacy — Any information collected from the completion of forms must comply with privacy .
Accessibility — Content must be for users with a disability.
Manage public records — Retained information from forms must be properly .
E-payment — Payments made online must adhere to a financial management standard called the Standing Directions .
Following the online form standard
This standard involves four steps that are important when formulating online forms:
Approval
Finally, any new or redeveloped forms must be approved by a Digital Management Committee or equivalent.
Salsa Digital’s take
We understand that designing online forms can be surprisingly complex and can make or break someone’s online experience.
The Victorian Government’s best practice online forms provides support to Vic Gov departments by setting out the standards and steps necessary to design effective and easy-to-use online forms. This is an aspect of digital design that helps create better engagement between government and citizens.