Good practices for building forms in Orbeon

Here is some guidance on how to design forms that provide a good citizen experience and are easier to maintain over time.

Form names

In the Orbeon context, a form name is key to things like version control and configurations. In the forms management context, this aligns with the “form control number”. To limit future issues and make management easier over time, you should use the form control number in the Form Name field.

Form control numbers are assigned by the ministry’s forms management team and are used to track a form throughout its lifecycle, whether that be months or decades. On paper forms, these often appear in small type at the bottom left of a form, and they never change no matter how many times the form is revised. If you’re converting a paper or PDF form to Orbeon however, do not assume you can just use the same number; check with your forms management team.

Form titles

In the Orbeon context, a form title corresponds to what forms professional also call a “form title”, though most people would probably think of it as the “form name”. It’s what identifies the form and typically appears in large text at the top in paper forms.

Form titles should be short and descriptive, about two to three words, and not include articles or prepositions.

• Choose “Employment Application” over “Application for Employment”
• Choose “Grant Application” over “Application for Grant”
• Choose “Service Request” over “Request for Service”

Program area names, which often appear in this area of paper forms, are generally considered “subtitles” and should not appear in the Form Title field of Orbeon. The form number (Form Name in Orbeon) would identify which program the form belongs to. You could also identify the program area in the Form Description.