Form design (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter npa3000
- Start date
- Local time
- Today, 10:49
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2001
- Messages
- 27,210
Form design is one of the monster "gotcha" topics because everything with forms is subjective. Designing a form can be a nightmare if you pick some layout that your users don't understand or like. It becomes almost like two goats butting heads because you will have the headache that goes with such an activity. Is there some standard printed form that the company members normally use? Because if you can digitally duplicate (or at least come close to) the form, that will work better than something they have never seen before.
When it comes to form implementation, there are some good references out there (online and in bookstores). But when it comes to aesthetics, there is no single answer. If there WERE an answer and I knew it, I would have published a book by now and told you where to buy a copy.
When it comes to form implementation, there are some good references out there (online and in bookstores). But when it comes to aesthetics, there is no single answer. If there WERE an answer and I knew it, I would have published a book by now and told you where to buy a copy.
The most important thing is consistency. Choose an aesthetic/layout/signaling system for your forms and stick to it throughout all your forms. Copy and paste are your friends. My titles/subtitles are all the same color, size, font, in the same location and justification. My navigation buttons are the same color, location and font throughout my forms. My action buttons are the same color, location and font. My user inputs are the same color and font. Etc. etc.
I think forms can fall into 3 categories--Menus, Input forms and popups. I've been doing this for years so I have a generic database where I store my default forms for each of those categories. I simply copy the type I need and customize it.
I suggest you start with a simple data input form based on a table. I'd let the Wizard set it up and then spend a few hours making that form look exactly how you want it. Then copy the form and use it for another table. Then another. Go through all the input forms you will need. Most likely as you build all those forms you will get ideas that require you to go back and implement those ideas in all your past forms.
After that, spend a few hours making Menus in the same fashion. Same with the popups (however you might not need this form type).
I think forms can fall into 3 categories--Menus, Input forms and popups. I've been doing this for years so I have a generic database where I store my default forms for each of those categories. I simply copy the type I need and customize it.
I suggest you start with a simple data input form based on a table. I'd let the Wizard set it up and then spend a few hours making that form look exactly how you want it. Then copy the form and use it for another table. Then another. Go through all the input forms you will need. Most likely as you build all those forms you will get ideas that require you to go back and implement those ideas in all your past forms.
After that, spend a few hours making Menus in the same fashion. Same with the popups (however you might not need this form type).
Last edited:
MarkK
bit cruncher
- Local time
- Today, 08:49
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2004
- Messages
- 8,186
I think visual design is less important than function. As new programmers we commonly make forms that imitate the structure of the underlying data, but as we gain experience we shift our focus to what the user needs to accomplish. Increasingly I find myself designing forms that do less and less, but that more and more accurately provide exactly the tool the user needs to accomplish a single frequently executed task.
Design one saw for making cross-cuts. Design a different saw for ripping. What does the user need to do? Define the workflow. What are the exact features you need to provide so the user can execute a task? Don't think of your form as an editable presentation of the underlying table data, think of your form as a tool that provides the narrowest possible pathway to do something important, and eliminate everything that does not serve that purpose.
Then, optionally, make it pretty.
Design one saw for making cross-cuts. Design a different saw for ripping. What does the user need to do? Define the workflow. What are the exact features you need to provide so the user can execute a task? Don't think of your form as an editable presentation of the underlying table data, think of your form as a tool that provides the narrowest possible pathway to do something important, and eliminate everything that does not serve that purpose.
Then, optionally, make it pretty.
