“Forms suck.” So begins Luke Wroblewski’s new book on how to design Web forms.

Nobody likes having to fill out a form, it’s just that bit of red tape that must be dealt with before we get what we want. Before we are approved, there is an application form. Before we get to use a web service, there is a registration form. Before our purchase is complete, there is a payment form. Form completion is a cost we must pay before we benefit.

Users may think that forms suck to use, but they aren’t such a kick to design, either. What’s fun is designing the heart of a product, the parts people enjoy, appreciate, and want to use. The parts that make a difference in their lives. With forms, users will not write us with heart-felt stories about how their lives were improved by our right-justified labels. They will not thank us profusely for putting just the right amount of explanatory text underneath a field. They will not tell their friends about how innovative our tab order is. When we achieve the highest praise possible for form design (”Well, that wasn’t too bad.”) we will have to pay for our own celebratory beer…