Form UX

A form is a completion path: reduce effort, prevent predictable errors, and make failure truthful, repairable, and accessible.

Model task before styling

Start with outcome, risk, and data authority, not an inherited input array. Remove, defer, or explain each field through this contract:

Field contract	What to decide
User value	What completing this field unlocks now, in the user's words
Data rule	Required/optional condition, source of truth, and whether the rule is client- or server-owned
Input affordance	Label, type, inputmode, autocomplete, format help, and a safe example
Validation moment	What can be checked while editing, on blur, on submit, or only after a server request
Recovery	Exact message, preserved value, focus destination, and next available action
Sensitivity	Whether the field is personal, financial, irreversible, or must never be persisted locally