Human by Design: make the printed form easier to use

A prompt from Lagos

The organiser describes a programme centred on people making design decisions across culture, code and creative work. This note draws on that published framing; it is not an attendance report or a summary of what speakers said. The printed-form observations below are Chromatic’s own application of the theme.

Start with the task

For a collection slip, event registration card or request form, name the task at the top and ask only for information needed to carry it out. Put related questions together, and make any optional fields visibly optional.

Try the real content before choosing the final dimensions. Leave enough room for handwriting, long names and corrections. A neat line of placeholder text is a poor substitute for someone filling in the page with a pen.

Make the next step visible

Tell the reader what to do with the completed piece: hand it to a named desk, retain part of it or follow the stated submission process. If the form has a detachable section, check which information needs to remain on each part.

Print a full-size draft and ask someone unfamiliar with it to complete a sample task using fictional details. Watch where they hesitate, then revise the wording or spacing before approving the run. A form has succeeded when its purpose and next step are clear, not simply when every box fits.

Sources

Untitled Designers Conference — UDC26 official programme and theme ↗
Checked October 24, 2026. Programme lists October 16–17 at Regal Hall, Lagos; dates have passed. Theme and programme framing attributed to organiser; no attendance or delivered-session claims.