Uxcel-Lab Inputs & Forms Skill
How this skill behaves (read first)
This is a generative skill. The default failure modes: over-asking (every field that might be useful, all required), mislabeling (placeholders as labels, jargon, unmarked optionals), and validating late (errors dumped in a modal at submit). The fix is not "apply every form pattern" — helper text, tooltips, progress bars, and multi-step splitting everywhere produce a bloated form. So this skill gates:
- Establish context — what the form collects, why each field is needed, platform, and length.
- Apply the always-true core — minimal fields, scannable single-column layout, persistent labels, the right input type per field, inline validation.
- Surface the context-dependent decisions (multi-step, floating labels, helper text, pickers, smart defaults) with trade-offs.
Then it hands off to ux-heuristics-audit, ux-accessibility-audit, ux-aesthetics-audit, ux-microcopy-audit, and ux-dark-patterns-audit for validation.
Step 0 — Establish context before designing
Ask if not known; state the assumption if proceeding without an answer:
- What does each field buy? For every field, name who uses the data and for what. A field with no answer gets cut — the single highest-leverage form decision.
- Platform — mobile demands contextual keypads, ≥38px touch areas, a submit button that stays in sight while scrolling, one-handed reachability.
- Length & stakes — a 3-field newsletter signup and a multi-page checkout need different structure (steps, progress, error summaries).
- Sensitivity — phone numbers, payment, IDs: users ask "why do you need this?" — plan the justification (helper text) and expect dark-patterns scrutiny on anything beyond task needs.
The always-apply core (correct for almost every case)
Ask less
- Remove every field the task doesn't require. Shorter forms complete more; the system shouldn't ask for what it can detect or already knows (autofill known data, support browser autocomplete, auto-detect country/locale).
- Mark required and optional fields — asterisk (before the label in LTR; not pale gray) for required, "(optional)" in the label for optional.
- ❌ Ten required fields, no explanation ✅ Five fields, one marked "(optional)", helper text on the sensitive one
Layout for scanning
- One column, top to bottom. Multi-column forms cause skipped fields, wrong-field entries, and abandonment (Baymard). Natural reading flow wins.
- Labels above inputs, outside the input, always visible. Never placeholder-as-label: it disappears on focus, strains memory, and looks like filled data. Placeholders only give example values, visibly muted.
- Group related fields (personal / billing / shipping) with headings and spacing — proximity does the structure: label-to-its-input gap < input-to-next-field gap; spacing between groups > spacing within.
- Visible input boundaries — borderless "minimal" inputs make users hunt for where to type. Input height ~32–40px, text ≥16px, labels ~13–14px, traditional restrained styling.
Pick the input type from the data
- Single-line for short answers; multi-line/text area for prose; password with a show/hide toggle; search with auto-suggest; select/dropdown only for long lists — up to ~5 options use radio buttons (single choice) or checkboxes (multiple); input masks wherever format matters (phone, date, card) — accept any way users type and format it for them; contextual keypads on mobile (numeric pad for numbers); OTP inputs that support paste and auto-fill.
- Date fields: match the picker to the task — text input + mask for known dates (birth date), calendar picker for near-future scheduling (booking).
Validate inline, kindly
- Validate on blur, not on every keystroke and not at submit. Let users finish typing; check when focus leaves the field. (Exception: live requirement checklists for new passwords.)
- Error messages sit at the erroneous input (right side or directly below — never only at the top), in plain, polite, specific language: what happened + how to fix it, ideally one line, never truncated. Color + icon + text — never color alone.
- Keep the error state visible until the input is actually valid, not just until the user starts typing.
- Prevent before you correct: constraints, forgiving formats, and masks beat error messages.
Submission is part of the form
- Primary button always in sight (below the fields; fixed on long mobile forms), labeled with the action — finish the user's sentence "I want to…": ❌ "Submit" ✅ "Subscribe" / "Place order" / "Create account".
- Button hierarchy: primary visually dominant; "Cancel"/"Back" subdued; enough spacing that the wrong button can't be hit by accident. Touch target ≥1×1cm (~38px+).
- Show all three states: loading after submit, a clear success message, and a polite, informative failure message (mind security: don't reveal which credential was wrong).
The context-dependent decisions (surface, don't auto-apply)
Present each with its trade-off and a recommendation tied to Step 0. Applying all of these to a 4-field form is the bloat failure mode.
| Decision | Apply when | Avoid / adapt when | Default recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-step + progress tracker | ≥3 logical steps (checkout, surveys); keeps each page digestible | Short forms — splitting adds clicks; >5–6 steps overwhelms | Single page until grouping alone stops working |
| Floating labels | Space-tight layouts wanting label + example in one slot | Complex/rarely-used forms where a permanent label is safer | Static labels above inputs; floating labels as a space-saving variant |
| Helper text | Sensitive fields ("why do you need my phone?"), nuanced requirements (password rules) | Every field "just in case" — noise that buries the signal | Only where users predictably hesitate; one line max |
| Icons / tooltips for guidance | Visual questions (CVV location) where a picture beats words | Tooltip-only help on mobile (extra tap, unreliable hover) | Icon first; tooltip as a supplement, not the sole carrier |
| Auto-suggest / incremental search | Long option lists (countries); bold the matched characters | Short lists where radio/checkboxes are faster | Auto-suggest for any list users would have to scroll |
| Smart defaults / auto-detection | Geo-detect country, prefill known data — fewer actions | Defaults that look like a choice the user made (consent, marketing opt-ins — dark-patterns territory) | Prefill facts, never decisions |
| Single full-name field | Reducing friction; more inclusive across cultures | The product must reliably split first/last name | One name field unless the data model truly needs two |
| Error summary at top | Long forms where multiple errors may be off-screen; each item links to its field | Short forms — inline messages suffice | Inline always; summary added for long forms |
| CAPTCHA / verification | Abuse is real; prefer accessible alternatives (magic links, OTP, passkeys) | Distorted-text CAPTCHAs; blocking paste in password fields | Risk-based, accessible verification; never block paste |
| Left-side labels | Extremely long desktop forms where vertical space is scarce | Mobile, mixed label lengths, anything responsive | Labels above inputs |
Validate the result (orchestration)
Hand-offs name each lens by its installable skill
name. Invoke one only if that skill is installed; if it isn't, this skill's own core already carries these rules — proceed without it rather than blocking.
After generating or revising, hand the result to the audit lenses rather than declaring it done. These are candidate lenses — posture is set by docs/orchestration-policy.md, or route the whole thing through ux-design-review. Here, heuristics, microcopy, and dark-patterns are Tier A (auto-run); accessibility, aesthetics, and mobile-responsiveness are Tier B (offered) — under an existing design system aesthetics is suppressed and accessibility narrows to usage; mobile-responsiveness applies only on mobile. If the user invoked this skill for one specific thing, respect that scope.
ux-heuristics-audit(Tier A) — visibility of system status (states, loading, success), error prevention, user control, recognition over recall.ux-accessibility-audit(Tier B — offer; narrow under a design system) — keyboard operability and focus indicators, label/contrast minimums,aria-describedbyerror linking, multi-cue error states, accessible authentication.ux-aesthetics-audit(Tier B — offer; suppress under a design system) — spacing rhythm, grouping clarity, whether "minimal" styling destroyed input affordance.ux-microcopy-audit(Tier A) — label clarity, helper-text brevity, error-message tone and specificity, action-button phrasing.ux-dark-patterns-audit(Tier A) — over-collection of personal data, pre-checked opt-ins, sneaky defaults, required fields that should be optional.ux-mobile-responsiveness-audit(Tier B — offer; applies only on mobile) — when the context is mobile: keypads, touch areas, fixed submit, one-handed reach.
If the audits surface a conflict (e.g., marketing wants more fields vs. completion rate), resolve back toward the primary task: the user came to finish something — every field and interruption must earn its cost.
Common do/don't patterns
| ❌ Don't | ✅ Do |
|---|---|
| Ask for everything that might be useful someday | Every field justified by who uses the data and why |
| Placeholder text as the only label | Persistent label above the input; placeholder = example only |
| Two-column field grid to "save space" | One column, logical groups, natural reading flow |
| Dropdown for a 3-option choice | Radio buttons (single) / checkboxes (multiple) under ~5 options |
| Force a strict typing format ("no dashes!") | Forgiving formats + input masks that format for the user |
| Validate on every keystroke, or only at submit | Validate on blur; live checklist only for password creation |
| Error modal at the top listing field numbers | Specific, polite message at the erroneous input (+ summary only on long forms) |
| Generic "Submit" on everything | Contextual action labels: "Create account," "Place order" |
| Submit with no feedback | Loading → success/failure states, always |
| Pre-checked marketing opt-in as a "smart default" | Prefill facts, never decisions (→ dark-patterns) |
| Ship without checking | Hand off to heuristics + accessibility + aesthetics + microcopy + dark-patterns |