Getting usable information.
WHY THIS IS A DESIGN CONCERN
The interface decides what data you receive.
WHAT PRODUCES POOR DATA
Free text where a selection would do No format guidance Fields whose purpose is unclear Required fields people fill with anything to proceed
THAT LAST ONE
A required field people cannot answer produces rubbish, not accuracy.
WHAT TO DO
Provide selection lists for anything you will group or count Give format examples Make genuinely optional fields optional
WHAT TO NORMALISE
Case, spacing and punctuation, on receipt.
WHAT TO VALIDATE
Plausibility, not only format.
WHAT TO AVOID
Rejecting valid unusual values
Names, addresses and phone numbers vary more than most validation assumes.
WHAT TO BE CAREFUL WITH
Assuming address formats Assuming name structure Assuming a phone number's shape
WHAT TO PROVIDE
A way to supply something that does not fit your fields.
WHAT TO REVIEW
What people actually enter, and adjust the design accordingly.
