Best Practices and Common Mistakes to Avoid

Best Practices for Board Forms

Designing a good board form is about making it easy for board members to respond while ensuring you collect the right information. Here are some best practices to keep in mind:

• Keep Questions Clear and Concise
  Use simple, direct language. Avoid jargon, and focus each question on one idea. This helps busy board members respond quickly without confusion.
  Example: “Do you approve the resolution on the investment policy?”
  vs.
  “Are you in agreement with the changes made in the previous meeting as outlined in section 5 of the report regarding investment procedures?”
  
  
• Avoid Question Overload
  Avoid overwhelming board members with long or complex forms. Keep each one short and focused on a single task. If you need to collect more information, split it across panels or create separate forms.
  
  
• Use Mandatory Fields Wisely
  Only make questions required when the response is essential. Too many required fields can frustrate users and lead to incomplete submissions.
  Examples of when to use required fields:
  Name / identification
  Approvals or declarations
  Signatures
  Key dates
  
  
• Group Related Questions in Panels
  Use panels to visually organize related fields. This improves flow and helps users understand the structure of the form. For example, group all personal information fields in one panel and all declarations in another.
  Example Panels:
  Personal Details
  Declarations of Interest
  Document Uploads
  Meeting Feedback
  
  
• Forgetting to Add Context
  A form without instructions can feel cold or unclear. Add a short intro, headings, or even panels to explain what the form is for.