title: Form Design Playbook nextjs: metadata: title: Form Design Playbook description: A practical, end-to-end guide to scope, design, validate, and ship accessible, high-converting forms.

Scope the form

• Define the job to be done and the minimum information needed to complete it.
• Remove non-essential fields; ask only what you need now.
• Map privacy/legal requirements; identify optional vs required.

Structure & flow

• Group related fields; one topic per group or step.
• Order by user mental model: identity → details → confirmation.
• Prefer multi-step for long forms; show progress with clear labels.

Field design

• Always use visible labels; avoid placeholder-as-label.
• Provide descriptions for tricky fields; keep labels concise.
• Set type/inputmode/autocomplete for each field.
• Use appropriate controls (select vs radio vs autocomplete) based on options count and discoverability.

Defaults & helpers

• Provide safe defaults when possible.
• Use examples and format hints inline (e.g., DD/MM/YYYY).
• Show live previews for formatted inputs (e.g., credit card, phone).

Validation

• Validate on blur and on submit; never only on submit.
• Explain what went wrong and how to fix it; focus the first error.
• Summarize errors at the top with anchored links.
• Don’t block typing with formatting; normalize on submit.

Accessibility

• Label every control; associate help/error text via aria-describedby.
• Ensure a clear focus order and visible focus styles.
• Provide 3:1 contrast for inputs and 4.5:1 for text.
• Ensure keyboard-only completion is possible.

Security & trust

• Indicate why sensitive data is needed; link to policy.
• Use masked fields where appropriate; allow reveal for passwords.
• Autosave drafts; warn before losing data.

Review & confirmation

• Provide a readable review step; allow edits before final submit.
• Use optimistic UI where safe; provide undo where possible.
• Send confirmations with a receipt of submitted data and next steps.

Metrics & iteration

• Track step drop-off, field-level abandon, time-to-complete, error rates.
• A/B test field removals, grouping, progress indicators, and copy.
• Review support tickets to prioritize fixes.

Implementation checklist

• Labels associated; hints and errors tied via IDs.
• Input types and autocomplete tokens set.
• Keyboard and screen reader flows verified.
• Client + server validation aligned; error messages clear.
• Resilient to network issues; submissions idempotent.