Public form
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<strong>Primary users:</strong> citizens, public, external
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You are designing a public service for citizens. It should be designed
to be as simple and intuitive as possible, while ensuring citizens can
make complete and informed decisions for themselves using the service.
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There is an emphasis on an accessible experience with a low cognitive
load for users who use the service infrequently.
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Pages
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1. Start page
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This is the starting point for a citizen to begin your form from
within your service or from Alberta.ca.
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2. Task list page (optional)
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Outline the entire process for the user and help them through the
process by breaking down an experience into individual tasks.
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3. Question pages
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Ask a user a question or a small set of related questions.
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4. Review page
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Let users check answers before submitting information to a service.
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5. Results page
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Let users know that they've completed a form, application, or task
and tell them what to do next.
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}The public form pattern provides a structure for citizen-facing form experiences, emphasizing simplicity, accessibility, and low cognitive load.
When to use
Use this pattern when:
- Designing a public service for citizens
- Building forms that should be simple and intuitive
- Users need to make informed decisions while completing the form
- The service should accommodate users who use it infrequently
Considerations
- Follow the “one idea per page” principle to reduce cognitive load
- Break complex forms into multiple pages with single questions
- Use task list pages for longer processes with multiple sections
- Consider using simple progress indicators rather than horizontal steppers
- Ensure all form elements meet WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility standards