We have built a lot of forms since Civic Review started. Our experience has allowed us to find what makes the best applications and what makes confusing applications. This article lists the top 3 things that we love to see in good forms.
Keep it Simple
There have been times when we started building a form and it ended up very messy and complicated. There are just too many fields and it feels disorganized. This usually is the result of either following the old form that was already too complicated or being too specific about the wording of each field. Here are a couple of tips to avoid these scenarios:
If your old form feels messy and outdated, don't be afraid to change it! We understand that City Code can play a part in this, but that does not mean your form has to be complicated. Use this as a chance to start fresh or make some edits!
The specific wording typically becomes an issue when we are combining multiple permits into one. One of the old permits might have said, "Please upload a site plan showing the placement of the fence." The other application may say, "Please upload a site plan showing where the chicken coop is kept." If there are multiple upload fields with similar wording, we like to simplify it by either saying "Please Upload a Site Plan" or using two paragraph fields to describe the specifics of each site plan, and one upload field. This helps keep everything organized.
Shorter Pages
Shorter Pages keep the application feeling organized and succinct. If you have one page with applicant information, applicant address, and applicant mailing address it will be a very long page. To fix this, we will usually create two to three separate pages. One page will have applicant information and maybe an applicant's address. The other page will have a mailing address.
Use the Correct Field Type
We have a dropdown menu of possible field types. Using the correct field type can make a big difference in the feel of your form. It also allows you to fully use the capabilities of Civic Review. Here is a Help article that explains each of the field types and how to use them: Fields in Civic Review