The playbook
Form Design: Checklist
Use this form design checklist before a new release, a handoff, or a scheduled review. Its purpose is to verify the decisions that affect successful form completions. Check an actual page or interaction record; a box marked complete without evidence does not show that the customer journey works.
Put the task in context
An email field should explain an invalid value in plain language and preserve the other entered information. Group related questions and identify required fields clearly. Use the appropriate input type, but also validate on the receiving system.
Before you use the checklist
Name the exact item being checked and its purpose. Gather field, purpose, validation, error message. If one of those details is unknown, mark it as unknown and assign a way to resolve it. An invented value makes the checklist look complete while weakening every later decision.
Working checklist
| Check | Evidence to keep | Responsible role |
|---|---|---|
| Ask only for fields needed at the current stage | A dated observation showing how field was verified | website lead |
| Use visible labels useful hints and specific errors | A dated observation showing how purpose was verified | designer or developer |
| Preserve entered information when a recoverable error occurs | A dated observation showing how validation was verified | site owner |
Check the failure path
- Look specifically for this failure: showing a generic error without identifying the affected field.
- Explain the issue beside the field and provide a recovery path. Record the actual correction, not just the intention to make it.
- Repeat the affected task after the correction and check error message.
- Make sure the next owner can find the decision and supporting evidence.
Use three outcomes for each check
Mark an item as complete only when the expected behavior or information has been observed. Mark it as incomplete when a required condition is absent. Use not applicable when the condition genuinely does not belong to the chosen scope, and write a short reason. These states keep a review useful without forcing every process into an identical mold.
For example, if the check is “Ask only for fields needed at the current stage,” a meeting about the subject is not the evidence itself. Retain the relevant field and purpose, the decision made from them, and the result of checking that decision. The record should allow someone who missed the meeting to understand what changed.
Decide what must be resolved first
An incomplete item that prevents collect necessary information through a clear and recoverable interaction deserves attention before a cosmetic improvement. Assign an owner and a next action to that issue. Keep optional refinements visible, but do not let them obscure a failure in the core process.
Close the review
Recheck corrected items and note anything still uncertain. The checklist is finished when the next owner understands what was verified and what remains open. Follow successful form completions using a consistent definition so later reviews can connect execution quality with useful results.
Treat visual changes and functional changes separately in the change log. A clearer label may improve comprehension, but a broken submission destination still prevents completion. Confirm both understanding and successful delivery.
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