Everyday interactions

I recently discovered a nice little bookmarking service called Whimventory that is set up to allow you to create wish lists from multiple websites (especially good at Christmas time).

It is a simple little application and you should check it out. However, their registration process highlights a great example of how not use inline form validation.

The registration form is nice and short and shouldn't take a minute, however, the live form validation makes it take far longer than it needs to. As you as you activate a form field you get a list of errors telling you what you haven't had a chance to input yet. These errors only go away when you move to another input field with satisfactory information.

This constant validation check makes you stop and check that everything you input is accepted by the form before beginning on the next element. There is a saying in the UK which states 'you are innocent until proven guilty' and would be great advice to take note of on this form. Errors should only be displayed after some incorrect information has been entered and the active input has been left.

Live validation will always increase the initial time it takes to fill out a form because people will generally stop to check the validation before moving on. However, beginning with errors and then constantly validating after every key press is a sure fire way to make filling out a form far more painful than is necessary.