web form design (web visions 2009)
DESCRIPTION
A look at 8 Web form elements, 20 CSS properties and 22 browsers-- which form elements and CSS properties allow for the greatest design control.TRANSCRIPT
WEB FORM ELEMENTSChristopher Schmitt | @teleject on twitter
( )= ( )/
• Checkboxes
• Input:
• File
• Radio
• Text
• Select:
• Multiple Items
• Single Item
• Submit Button
• Textarea
FORM ELEMENTS
CSS PROPERTIES
• background-color• background-image• border• border-color• border-style• border-width• color• font-family• font-size• font-weight
• height• letter-spacing• line-height• margin• padding• text-align• text-decoration• text-indent• width• word-spacing
7.2 55.567
8b2
8.59
1.52.03.0
34b
1
7.2 9 1.52.03.0
234b
3,520screengrabs
RADIO BUTTONS
CSS HEIGHT
FF 2
FF 2
FF 3
Chrome 1
CSS WIDTHFF 3
FF 3
Safari 3
Safari 3
Safari 4b
Safari 4b
CSS TEXT INDENTChrome 1
Safari 4b
Safari 4b
Opera 9
Opera 9
CSS BACKGROUND COLORIE 6
IE 7
IE 8b2
Opera 9
Opera 9
CSS BACKGROUND IMGFirefox 2
Firefox 2
IE 6
IE 7
IE 8b2
Opera 9
Opera 9
0
5
10
15
20
IE6 IE7 IE8b2 Ch Mac FF3 Win FF3 Mac Op9 Win Op9 Mac S3 Win S3 Mac S4b Win S4b
Yes No Somewhat N/A
CSS & TEXTAREA
0
5
10
15
20
IE6 IE7 IE8b2 Ch Mac FF3 Win FF3 Mac Op9 Win Op9 Mac S3 Win S3 Mac S4b Win S4b
Yes No Somewhat N/A
CSS & INPUT TEXT FIELDS
0
5
10
15
20
IE6 IE7 IE8b2 Ch Mac FF3 Win FF3 Mac Op9 Win Op9 Mac S3 Win S3 Mac S4b Win S4b
Yes No Somewhat N/A
CSS & SUBMIT BUTTON
0
5
10
15
20
IE6 IE7 IE8b2 Ch Mac FF3 Win FF3 Mac Op9 Win Op9 Mac S3 Win S3 Mac S4b Win S4b
Yes No Somewhat N/A
CSS & SELECT BOXES (ONE)
0
5
10
15
20
IE6 IE7 IE8b2 Ch Mac FF3 Win FF3 Mac Op9 Win Op9 Mac S3 Win S3 Mac S4b Win S4b
Yes No Somewhat N/A
CSS & SELECT BOXES (MULTI)
0
5
10
15
20
IE6 IE7 IE8b2 Ch Mac FF3 Win FF3 Mac Op9 Win Op9 Mac S3 Win S3 Mac S4b Win S4b
Yes No Somewhat N/A
CSS & FILE UPLOADS
0
5
10
15
20
IE6 IE7 IE8b2 Ch Mac FF3 Win FF3 Mac Op9 Win Op9 Mac S3 Win S3 Mac S4b Win S4b
Yes No Somewhat N/A
CSS & CHECKBOXES
0
5
10
15
20
IE6 IE7 IE8b2 Ch Mac FF3 Win FF3 Mac Op9 Win Op9 Mac S3 Win S3 Mac S4b Win S4b
Yes No Somewhat N/A
CSS & RADIO BUTTONS
Radio Buttons
Check Boxes
File Uploads
Select(Multi)
Select(One)
Input Text
Text Area
0
25
50
75
100
height letter-spacing line-height margin padding text-align text-decoration text-indent width word-spacing
Y N S N/A
CSS PROPERTIES
0
25
50
75
100
bkgd-color bkgd-image border border-color border-style border-width color font-family font-size font-weight
Y N S N/A
CSS PROPERTIES
Text Indent
Text Decoration
Font Family
Border Color
Font Weight
Word Spacing
Height
Color
Background Image
Border
Font Size
Border Style
Letter Spacing
Padding
Margin
Background Color
Width
Text Indent
Text Decoration
Font Family
Border Color
Font Weight
Word Spacing
Height
Color
Background Image
Border
Font Size
Border Style
Letter Spacing
Padding
Margin
Background Color
Width
Radio Buttons
Check Boxes
File Uploads
Select(Multi)
Select(One)
Input Text
Text Area
LET BROWSER VENDORS KNOW WHAT YOU WANT
• Internet Explorer
• http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/contact.aspx
• Opera
• http://my.opera.com/community/forums/forum.dml?id=24
• http://groups.google.com/group/opera.wishlist/topics
• Safari
• http://lists.webkit.org/mailman/listinfo/webkit-dev
• Google Chrome
• http://groups.google.com/group/chromium-dev
LET BROWSER VENDORS KNOW WHAT YOU WANT
• Web Form Elements Design Quiz
• Part 1: http://tr.im/lp2k
• Part 2: http://tr.im/lp2g
• http://www.WebFormElements.com/
• 3,500 form element screen captures
• HTML form element look-up tables (free):
• http://oreilly.com/catalog/9780596527419/appendixd/appd.pdf
TAKE AWAYS
• Designing for forms is hard for HTML+CSS
• Even the same browser, different platform render Web forms differently
• To help you discern the safety of CSS on a Web form, use WebFormElements.com
• Reviewed which browsers are most hazardous
TAKE AWAYS
• Reviewed which CSS properties are supported the most.
• Reviewed what high-profile sites are doing to design for forms: Nothing.
• Call to action!
• Let browser vendors hear you or they won’t care to fix the problem.
• With HTML5 form elements, problem is going to get worse.
CREATIVE COMMONS CITATIONShttp://www.flickr.com/photos/lanuiop/2234239588/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gaetanlee/1947424580/http://www.flickr.com/photos/evapro/312900784/http://www.flickr.com/photos/kekka/799060449/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hiddedevries/2594048276/http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomsaint/2992217972/