User Experience for a Better World
Website Usability: Phrasing the "description" for an input field by using labels or questions?
During our project, in which we are developing a website to support bank customers in construction financing, we came across the following question:
Is it better to phrase the description of an input field as a question or as a single expression/label?
For example, when the user is asked to state how he is going to use his future real estate:
Version 1:
type of use: _______________________
Version 2:
How are you going to use the real estate, you want to acquire?
_________________________
Is there a general rule to decide on which version is better?
Tags: field, input, label, question, usability, website
Views: 85
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Poh Kok Hong on -
For me, I use labels that are shortened versions of the long form:
Long form: "How do you intend to use this piece of real estate?"
Short form: "Intended use?"
Which is used depends on the context (frequent, repeated use will allow some leeway on use of jargon) and sequence of the form (questions further down the form will have the context set by earlier questions, so they can afford to be shorter).
My two cents.
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