What not to do in form design

I posted a few days ago an article regarding issues that can arise during mobile web design, and I am now posting an addition to that, regarding some issues that can appear on web form designs.

I usually do my own mathworks, but last week I ended up on Freelance Switch's hourly rates calculator. That could be a powerful tool to some people, but it can get really bad while using it. I was about half way through the form when I accidentally touched a character on the keyboard instead of a digit. And what a big mistake I've done.

The way error messages are displayed is the worst way they could have done it. Have you ever used the alert() javascript function? Yes you say. Do you remember the outcome. Well, combine that crazy popup with some sort of recursive callback to it, and you are in serious trouble. I recorded a small video [video here] (nothing edited, used demo version of a nice software Chris uses for his screencasts, but it worked for my point). Check out the "gorgeous" stuff that happens. Firstly, I get the alert twice, then I loose focus to the entire browser window. I cannot even click the red bullet to close Safari. If you use Firefox, the alert message never stops. Seriously, those error messages really, really ... shouldn't be there. The second solution, opposed to force quiting your browser would be a very fast combination of "return key" + "backspace key".

Such a great tool but poor finishing.

Published on Friday, April 17th, 2009 at 10:17 pm in usability.

About Bogdan Pop

Bogdan Pop is a young Romanian entrepreneur who runs WebRaptor. He is a web developer with awesome design skills, who enjoys writing about everyday's work and usability. He relaxes by taking photos every once in a while and by mixing french electronic music. Connect with him via Twitter.