Recommended Practices for Clearer, Smarter Forms

The following list is not required for form approval, but it is strongly recommended for creating high-quality forms in Iowa. These best practices were developed in collaboration with a Qualtrics XM Scientist.

An XM Scientist at Qualtrics is a specialized consultant and strategist who helps organizations design and optimize their Experience Management (XM) programs—particularly in areas such as Customer Experience (CX), Employee Experience (EX), and other feedback-driven initiatives. Their expertise ensures that forms are not only functional but also user-friendly, accessible, and aligned with best practices in experience design.

Form Structure and Flow

• Aim for 5-7 questions per page unless there is a good reason to keep a longer form on one page (e.g. the form will be embedded into a web page). Make sure the length of the form and the number of pages is clearly indicated at the beginning of the form.
• Make sure questions are logically grouped into related sections
• Include a customized end of survey message that applies to the survey/form they filled out. Include any follow-up instructions or expectations, etc.)

Question & Field Design

• Use common, simple language that is easy to understand. Follow guidelines from the Plain Writing Act:
  • Avoid jargon, acronyms, or technical language. If technical terms must be used, define them clearly.
  • Use personal pronouns such as “you”
  • Aim for an 8th-grade reading level in your question construction.
• Ensure input formats are explicitly stated in the field description (e.g., MM-DD-YYYY, XXX-XXX-XXXX, etc.).
• Note any fields that are optional with the text “(optional)” at the end of the field description.
• Make sure required fields (which will be most fields) have the Add requirements > Force response setting turned on in the “Response requirements” section.
• You should also add validation to fields that require specific information (e.g. email address, phone number, only numbers, etc.)

Scale and Response Format

• Randomize categorical response options to reduce primacy bias (e.g., “Select your reason for visiting this website”). Anchor any “Other” options to the bottom of the list.
• Use 5-point, fully-labeled scales when possible (e.g., Very satisfied, Somewhat satisfied, Neutral, Somewhat dissatisfied, Very dissatisfied).
• Avoid numeric-only labels and partially labeled scales unless you are using a scale that has been used on past waves of the current survey or a standard question and scale that has been created to standardize measurement of a concept (e.g., OECD Better Life Index, Health-Related Quality of Life index, Employee Engagement Index, etc.).
• Use vertical scale orientation so the rating scales appear the same on desktop and mobile devices. Vertically oriented scales provide superior survey experience on mobile devices and avoid potential bias caused by side-to-side scrolling. To remove potential bias caused by the survey mode (desktop/laptop vs. mobile device), it is ideal to use vertical scales all the time.
• When using vertically-oriented scales and tied to an existing scale structure, default to a positive-to-negative scale ordering (Excellent-to-Poor).
• Avoid matrix/grid questions whenever possible. There is evidence that a matrix question can lead to less consideration of the individual questions and more straight lining (where the respondent selects the same response options for all questions in the matrix).

Formatting and Accessibility

• Use radio buttons instead of dropdowns when possible.
• If the form is over 30 fields, consider adding a progress bar. Otherwise, don’t use a progress bar.