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TonyTone1

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Large Web Forms

I have a client with a web application that have several LARGE forms. these forms have to be on one page but end up being very very ugly. Does anyone have any recommendation on designing around large web forms? Or any examples they can point me to?

Requirments:
1) must stay visible on one page.
2) Variable width to adjust to the window
3) Every form of input is used, textboxes, textareas, lots of checkboxes, lots of radio buttons, etc. They all must flow as best as it can.

Design and usability is key.

Thanks in advance.
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consulteware

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I have tried explaining to my client about tabs, but no go :( I guess i'm looking for a method of organizing the form that is visually pleasing, usable and intuitive. while being all on one page.
I'd say its upto  you and your client, because we havent seen the form. Maybe you could organize the form elements into 2 columns??
Did you try one wizard like option, spareted in steps?
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VoteyDisciple

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@manav_mathur
there is already two columns (it's still large vertically and horizontally)

@consulteware
That's already done as well. I'm looking for more advance design tips. like maybe a form you've seen using a unique method of making large forms more usable.
Did you try to do a form in Java or ActiveX?
Then you could see Voteydisciple's post. Excellent idea on hiding parts of form using javascript, although the client may complain that it still is more than one page.
@VoteyDisciple

Fieldset/legend tags are in good use.
The form is so large that it lags hard when options are selected it makes changes to the rest of the form, revealing or removing other options.

3&4 good ideas i will review them further.

I am still however interested in more suggestions.
You can use the "AutoPostBack" option if you are programming in ASP.Net, this will allow you to hide or show some options that should not be available to users depending on the options that they choose, can be one sugestion.
This is really a tough question for us to answer, primarily because the form "look and feel" is not standard, and secondly because we havent ha d alook at your form. If you can post a link, it would receieve better suggestions.
The worst I've seen was a page from a Japanese bank that had literally 100's of fields. However, this truly horrible form was OK for the users, because it was that they knew and were comfortable with. This is crucial to whatever you produce: it must work for the folk who have to use it. While it sounds like you're using "progressive disclosure" already, any large form is going to require oodles of JavaScript to reveal parts of the page that are relevant to the user's requirement.

No, there is no easy answer, and I believe the solutions will only be varying degrees of awkwardness.

Sorry to say it, but rather you than me trying to find a good solution for this one!