USING AND DESIGNING FORMS

Forms are a means of collecting standard information in a relatively simple way.

One of the key elements of business organisation is making the most effective use of time. As a result, anything which will save time by standardising processes will be of much value. Forms are a fine example of this principle in practice, since using them makes collecting and organising

information quicker and more efficient than using letters, personal meetings or other kinds of communication.

In business, there are a number of uses for forms and, consequently, a number of different types – for example, routine forms such as telephone message forms, report forms, application forms and questionnaires – which seek people’s opinions.

Form design is of the utmost importance. Again we shall see the principles of effective

communication at work – a good form will always rest on a clear idea of its purpose and be clear about the information required if the both the supplier and collector of the information are to make full use of it. Forms can appear impersonal and annoy the person completing them, so you must design them carefully to include only essential questions. They should give clear directions and ask unambiguous questions, leaving enough space for the answers, the layout should be attractive, and there should be no questions which might offend some readers.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Forms offer advantages both for organisations and for the individuals who complete them.

The advantages for organisations are that:

They can be planned to cover a specific list of topics or points, so that there is far less risk of nay issues being overlooked.

They avoid the presentation of unnecessary or irrelevant material.

They ensure that information about individuals or firms is presented in an identical format, making the processing of that information much easier.

They make sure that routine communications are actually carried out by providing a simple, convenient format, without which some people might not actually pass on the information required.

These advantages combine to make the form one of the most useful aids to business. It is not surprising, therefore, that almost any major transaction in which an individual has dealings with an organisation will involve the completion of a form.

What advantages are there for you as an individual in completing forms?

There is no need to write a long, complex letter.

All the questions are clearly stated, so that you don’t need to think about what information is required.

The layout of the form indicates the amount of depth or detail required by each question.

As you probably know from your own experience, there are also disadvantages to filling-in forms:

Forms can appear impersonal and distant.

They do not allow much, if any, scope for individual expression.

They often give the impression of asking for confidential information which is not needed.

They may be confusing and time-consuming to complete.

However, if a form is well-designed, it can overcome most of the disadvantages we’ve thought about.

People generally don’t mind completing a well-designed form, and if they complete it fully and accurately, the business can take the necessary action.

Principles of Design

In designing a form you should remember that the reader will only fill it in accurately if you engage his interest and co-operation from the start. You can do this by:

including only essential questions;

giving brief directions about completing the form;

asking your questions simply, clearly and briefly;

keeping the form as short as possible.

The key elements are as follows.

(a) Define purpose

Before designing a form, ask yourself exactly what you wish to know. Be ruthless in cutting out any questions which are not essential to this purpose. Every unnecessary question increases the reader’s resistance to completing the form – keep it short!

(b) Give directions clearly

Make sure that the reader knows how to complete the form, by giving precise instructions.

Remember, too, to include an address to which the reader should return the form, if this is relevant. Directions should be clear, precise, but above all brief.

(c) Keep questions simple

It is unwise to make assumptions about reading age or vocabulary level. As a result, many public information forms in the UK are designed to be read by people with a reading age of 12.

Always keep your questions very simple and unambiguous. For example, instead of saying:

“State date on which domiciliary occupation of current premises was initiated”, say:

“When did you move into your present home?”

(d) Leave enough space for the answer

It is infuriating to complete a form which has three lines blank for “Date of Birth” and one for

“Full Address”.

Think carefully about layout, making the form as clear as possible and dividing the available space fairly according to the genuine demands of the question.

Always put the form to the test by completing it yourself, or asking someone else to do so, to check whether there is enough space.

(e) Use an attractive layout

Use plenty of “white space”, and make the form look attractive. It is often helpful to group questions together under related headings and rule lines between each section. This makes the form look better, and makes it less daunting to complete.

(f) Avoid offending people

Try not to ask for confidential data unless you really need it. Details about marital status, disability and handicaps, or average income are not always needed, so think carefully before requesting them, and then make sure that you say that all information will be treated in confidence.

Avoid making assumptions about your readers. Write “Forenames” instead of “Christian names”, so that people of all religious denominations can complete the form on equal terms.

(g) Consider those processing the form

Use a layout which will be clear for people who have to deal with the data when it is completed, as well as for those who fill in the form. You may do this by leaving spaces and heading them “Please leave blank”, or “For office use”, or in other ways, such as putting a space for the name of the reader at the top right-hand corner so that large numbers of forms can be filed alphabetically.

Remember, however, that obtaining the information is more important than processing it.

Faced with a choice between making things easy for the reader and making things easy for the processor, you should always give precedence to the reader. Otherwise, you may well end up with a form that is very convenient to process, but which nobody will bother to complete!

(h) Use the right format for each question

There are various ways in which you can frame questions. Choose the one which is most appropriate to the kind of information you require.

Answer spaces

This is the simplest sort, in which a line or more space is left blank for the details to be inserted.

For names, addresses and questions which demand answers of an individual nature, this is the best approach.

Tick boxes

This is a useful approach for questions with alternative answers. It is quick to complete and easy to read when the form is being processed. The disadvantage is that it can only be used effectively when there are a small number of clear alternative answers to a question, as in this example:

Title (Please tick box)

Mr Ms Miss Mrs Dr Rev Other

Delete where not applicable

Here a list of alternatives is given and the reader is asked to cross out those which do not apply as in this example:

I do/do not* wish to attend the meeting.

*Delete where not applicable

There are two main disadvantages to this format. One is that it can only really be used where the number of alternatives is small – two or three at most – otherwise the form will be full of crossings-out. The other is that there is a danger that people will either ignore the direction completely, having overlooked the instruction to “delete” which usually appears at the foot of the page, or that they will cross out the right, rather than the wrong, alternative.

For these reasons, this format needs to be used rarely and with caution.

Ring or underline correct answer

This is an alternative to ticking boxes. It can be used where the reader has to select from a group of alternatives, and has the advantage of taking up less space than using boxes.

Title (Please ring): Mr Ms Miss Mrs Dr Rev Other

Its disadvantage is that it tends to look untidy and, if a reader completes the form in a hurry, it may be difficult to tell which alternative has been underlined or ringed.

Choose alternatives carefully

Many of the above answers suggest providing alternative answers for the reader to tick or ring. When you use this type of question make sure that you provide enough

alternatives, and that they are appropriate and realistic.

If you are asking people how often they use an electronic cash dispenser, alternative answers which run “often, rarely, never” wouldn’t provide you with much helpful

information. You need to be much more specific, with alternatives such as “once or more a week”, “once a fortnight”, “once a month”, “less often”. Only in this way will you obtain material which has a clear objective meaning, since ideas of “rarely” and

“sometimes” will vary between individuals.

Kinds of Forms

Forms are used for all sorts of purposes in business. The one thing they all have in common is that they are concerned with collecting information in a standardised way. The specific design and layout of a particular form will depend on the type of information it is designed to record and the type of people who are required to complete it.

(a) Routine business forms

Many forms are used for recording routine events in a company. They are usually short, and include no unnecessary information. An example of the most common sort is the telephone message form shown in Figure 3.3.

Figure 3.3: Telephone Message Form