Thanks so much for all of your input. It's very helpful! Currently, I'm designing a registration form for a health-care related web site where users will be asked to provide a lot of information like doctor and insurance info. I think the best approach here is to stick with a single column, but group certain fields (like first, middle, and last name) together on one line where I can.
In the past I've worked on internal apps that had huge forms, and I utilized the two, or even three, column layouts to maximize space. We've never done any formal testing on them, but so far there haven't been any complaints from users that I've heard. However, I do plan to test these types of forms in the future as well. Like I said, I'll share results from both tests when they happen. Thanks again! Hugh On Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 12:30 PM, Oleh Kovalchuke <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > I should clarify that the recommendation, I wrote, was for data processing > application, where pretty much the same forms are used all day long, not for > casual web registration forms. > > Ah, context... > > Still interested in usability results. > > -- > Oleh Kovalchuke > Interaction Design is design of time > http://www.tangospring.com/IxDtopicWhatIsInteractionDesign.htm > > On Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 8:50 AM, Oleh Kovalchuke <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > >> Hello Hugh, >> >> It depends on the task: >> >> If primary task is filling new form field after field from linear data >> stream (copying data from paper form, for example), choose single column >> layout (with labels on top). >> >> If form processing is non-linear (as in editing partially filled forms) or >> copying data from a source with a different data flow from online form, >> choose layout with multiple columns to increase information density/reduce >> information hunting. You might also consider three column layout, if data >> presented is uniform (multiple date fields, for example). >> >> If data comparison is important (as in Yohan's examples), present data in >> tables. >> >> I am very much interested in the results of your usability study, by the >> way. >> >> -- >> Oleh Kovalchuke >> Interaction Design is design of time >> http://www.tangospring.com/IxDtopicWhatIsInteractionDesign.htm >> >> ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
