Forms On Mobile Devices: Modern Solutions

by March 12, 2010

My article on Forms On Mobile Devices: Modern Solutions was published on Smashing Magazine this week. In it, I outline how modern mobile operating systems have taken steps to improve the usability of forms. You can read the the full article here.

Overview

Mobile forms tend to have significantly more constraints than their desktop cousins: screens are smaller; connections are slower; text entry is trickier; the list goes on. So, limiting the number of forms in your mobile applications and websites is generally a good idea. When you do want input from users on mobile devices, radio buttons, checkboxes, select menus and lists tend to work much better than open text fields.

But constraints breed innovation, and mobile forms are no different. The limitations of mobile devices have forced developers and designers to find new ways to allow users to input data faster and more easily. Thanks to the modern solutions covered in this article, the mobile space may not be a place to avoid forms much longer. Instead, it may become the place to encourage them.

Check out the full article on Smashing Magazine...