Optimal Designs of Text Input Fields in Mobile Web Surveys for Older Adults.

Online forms and surveys often include text input fields to gather information such as name, address, comments, or other information that is not in a small set of pre-defined answers. This paper shares results of three different experiments investigating how older adults using smartphones interact with different user-interface designs of text input fields in online surveys. Experiment 1 compares different ways of labeling the text input field. Experiment 2 investigates the impact of using a character countdown on the field. Experiment 3 investigates whether predictive text in such fields helps with data entry. Results confirm that label placement does not affect time to complete the task, but users prefer either labels above the field or inline labels that move above the field when focus is placed in the field. Most participants were not aware of the character countdown feature and there was not a strong preference for it. Although it did significantly reduce deleting characters, it did not increase the number of characters typed or decrease time on task. Predictive text was preferred and when used, there is some indication that it might make the task quicker without increasing incorrect answers.