Standards for how to design your form

Use the following form design when creating your form. Form submissions that do not adhere to these standards, may not be posted.

Keep the form short

Remove all non-essential fields. Remove fields which collect information that can be:
  • gathered in some other way,
  • collected later,
  • or simply omitted.
Every time you eliminate a field from a form, you increase its chances of being completed.

Group the related fields together

Organize your form so the related fields/questions are grouped together. For example, ask for the student's name in the same section you ask for their email address.

If your form asks about two different topics, section it into two separate groups.

Know when to use radio buttons, checkboxes, and dropdowns

  • Radio buttons should be used when there are multiple options and only one can be chosen.
  • Checkboxes are should be used when more than one option can be selected.
  • Use dropdowns when there are more than six options to choose from.
Where possible, checkboxes and radio buttons should be used instead of dropdowns, as they are easier for users to navigate. Avoid drop-downs when there are only two or three options that could be displayed as radio buttons

Distinguish optional and required fields

Try to exclude as many optional fields as possible in the form. If some fields are necessary, but only apply to some users, label these fields as optional. Limit the form to only a few optional fields, and clearly label them as optional.

Explain formatting requirements for responses

If a field requires a specific format or type of response, state the exact instructions, and/or provide examples.

Identify CCBC employees who will receive the form

These individuals are responsible for the data collected and works with the content owner to ensure the form remains updated.

View the list of trained content contributors and owners ».