For what seems like forever, forms have been a core part of the digital experience. From e-commerce websites to business applications and mobile software, forms are what most systems utilize to collect input from users.

Yet, over the past while, we’ve been trying to abolish the traditional form in the interfaces we design and build. Instead, we attempt to come up with novel ways to gather data from people without having to resort to the usual collection of drop-down menus, radio buttons and text fields.

We do this because of our overarching goal, which is to develop systems that focus on things people (and the organizations they work for) want to achieve, rather than how the technology infrastructure wants to consume that information.

If you think about forms like battery panels on a mouse, you can see where we’re going with our vision. Rather than force someone to find a screwdriver and remove a tiny screw to replace a battery, like this:

We, instead, simply remove the screw and just get people to open the panel with their finger, like this:

Which do you think is more fun? I’d argue for the screw-less panel that's flexible enough for you to stick a finger nail in there and release the latch. You get the same result, which is access to the battery, but without any tools.

Same goes with software and websites. Form fields are the screws because they introduce an additional obstacle to success, whereas no form fields permit direct manipulation, or at least perceived direct manipulation, of the data.

For example, we recently built a website for Northwestel that allows customers to customize and order their digital television packages online. The traditional method for this interaction model is to include plenty of tiny form controls and inputs, like this:

When we designed Better TV, our goal was to remove as many form fields from the user experience as possible (yes, the irony of the website opening with a traditional form is not lost on me). Take, for instance, this screen from the theme packs and channels selection view:

Even though people are making choices and adding products to their order, there’s not a form field in sight. They can remove a theme pack or channel quickly and easily. It almost becomes a game because the interface is colourful, playful and engaging with big, interactive buttons and labels.

Forms aren’t likely to disappear anytime soon, but they don’t always have to be used when laying out a data input screen. There’s loads of room for improvement and experimentation. I encourage you to take the next opportunity to try something different.