Forms Are Still the Worst: Why UX Keeps Getting Them Wrong

Ramble – Issue #3

Hey, it’s Aaron.

We’ve designed flying cars and AI that writes code — and yet…

we still can’t get forms right.

Seriously. Forms are everywhere — job apps, checkouts, patient intakes, onboarding flows — and they still feel like mini endurance events for users.

Why Are Forms So Painful?

Forms are deceptively simple. It’s just fields, right? But that’s the problem. We treat them like mechanical data capture instead of conversations with people. That’s why you still see:

Required fields that aren’t actually required
“Phone number” boxes that reject formatting they don’t tell you about
Dropdowns with 300 country names in alphabetical order
“Other” with no text field
CAPTCHAs that fail after you submit

And don’t even get me started on the infamous “MM/DD/YYYY” date format.

The Real UX Problem

Forms reveal something deeper — companies care more about what they want from the user than what the user needs from them.

It’s about control over clarity, data over flow, and legal cover over user trust. Which is wild, considering forms are where trust is built.

3 Ways to Fix (or At Least Improve) Them

Ask less, do more.
Only ask what you need. If you already know it, pre-fill it. If you can infer it, auto-complete it. Let the tech work, not the user.
Make validation friendly and fast.
Real-time, non-judgy feedback > “Form submission failed” in red at the top.
Design like a conversation.
Group related questions. Use smart defaults. Explain why you’re asking. Break long forms into logical chunks.

Links Worth a Click

📝 Luke Wroblewski: Web Form Design Best Practices

🚫 Form Fails Hall of Shame – UX Collective

📈 Baymard’s E-Commerce Checkout Form Usability Research

🔍 Form Design Guidelines – NN/g

🎥 Video: Why Your Form is Losing Users – Adam Silver

UX Quote of the Week

“Every extra field in your form is a user asking, ‘Why are you making me do this?’”