The folks over at Nielsen Norman Group recently published a handy guide to the EAS Method for Simplifying Forms. Basically, it’s a framework for making online forms easier and less time-consuming to fill out by following three steps:

1. Eliminate questions that are nonessential, nonurgent, or irrelevant.
2. Automate the remaining questions as much as possible by leveraging existing or inferable data.
3. Simplify what remains with helpful defaults, alternative input, and smart formatting.

ProposalSpace gives you a number of ways to apply the EAS Method:

Use the Branching feature to eliminate irrelevant questions. For example, if you collect submissions for both posters and panels you can ask which type the submission is for, then display only questions relevant to that type. This can make the form much shorter by eliminating questions starting with something like “If this is for a poster…” (Note that the Branching feature is available for both the submission form and the review form.)

Use the Return for Edits feature to postpone asking nonurgent questions. For example, a headshot is probably only necessary if a submission is selected for presentation. Rather than asking for one when a proposal is initially submitted, wait until a submission has been selected then return it to the author with a request for them to provide one.

Use the Default Answer feature in the form builder to automatically pre-fill information from the user’s profile. For example, if you need to collect someone’s organization, select Organization for the question’s Default Answer setting. The user can then edit the default answer if needed.

Use the Default Answer feature to pre-select an answer from a list of options. Save the user time with checkboxes, dropdowns, or radio buttons by identifying one of the options as the default answer. Keep in mind however that while this can be helpful in some situations, like when selecting a state or country, it can also be counterproductive since users rarely change defaults.

If you have other tips for eliminating, automating, or simplifying forms in ProposalSpace, please leave your ideas in the comments!