Developing forms that 'inform'
The responsibility of exercising guardianship and making financial management decisions can be a difficult issue for families. For the NSW Guardianship Tribunal, the User First Design Group developed a new application form that was easy to understand for applicants and provided useful, relevant information for staff and tribunal members to make decisions.
What we did
Understanding the application process and helping applicants think about their options was key to the success of this design—not simply the layout and language.
We interviewed and tested prototypes with staff and applicants to help clarify the steps of the process, determine what information was required and how this could be obtained from applicants.
Our expertise in form design and writing was used to create a logical structure that grouped related questions and clearly showed options. A simple, consistent design was used to capture information.
Results
Feedback from applicants and staff has been positive. The new forms have reduced the number of incorrect applications and enquiry calls.
