Today I want to highlight how simple a sign up process can be and just how effective it is when done right. People don’t like forms, it’s a fact so why make the process even more annoying for the user by asking them to fill in loads of information? The more time it takes the more chances there are of a user dropping out before the finish. The simpler the form the better, and I have an uber simple form to talk about.

Kontain is a community that allows you to follow your friends as they post videos and music, etc. Now every community’s strength is in its users, so encouraging people to sign up is a must. Kontain knows this and they’ve designed their sign up process to be as painless as possible.

The first thing I noticed about the page was the bright colours giving the whole site a very positive mood and putting the user in a positive frame of mind. The next thing is that the form is laid out horizontally rather than the normal vertical layout I would expect to see from a form. As the form all fits on one line it makes the whole thing seem even shorter because it is instantly visible, and you know exactly how much information is needed straight away.

The size of everything is also a great strength of the form. Everything is clear to see and each field is given the same amount of importance as they are the same size as each other. Once you have put in your details the ‘Sign Up!’ button is right there to press. One thing I would say is that having the ‘Terms of Use’ statement under the sign up button could mean that some people submit the form without noticing that. I would suggest placing that field above the submit button so the natural movement of the eyes down the page means you come across that before hitting submit.

However, the error messages are excellent on the form. Each message appears above the corresponding field and provides a very clear message on exactly how to fix the problem.

Go and have a look at the sign up form for yourself and let us know your thoughts.

Are there any forms that you feel make the process of filling them out a breeze? If so post a link here and let everyone else see.

Critique Agent: "AtiKuSDesign"  -  http://www.twitter.com/atikusdesign

AtiKuSDesign is the creator and editor of the web and graphic design inspiration blog D-Lists. He lives and breathes design, spending 90% of his life online looking at a screen, finding inspiration everywhere. To add to his passion for design he is an experienced front-end and wordpress developer. Follow him on twitter or follow his complete set of online ramblings via his flavors page More posts by this author.