Form Design Guide
Overview
nFORM supports the design of custom forms for submission by the regulated community. These forms are highly configurable, and nFORM provides much flexibility for form designers.
Electronic versions of agency forms often look significantly different from their paper counterparts. There are many different approaches and techniques for implementing form elements in nFORM. Designing these forms can sometimes be an art, requiring implementation, trial, feedback, and refinement.
This guide covers standard form design activities, including the form creation process and refining a form design. More advanced features are described in the Advanced Form Design Guide.
Included in this guide:
Creating a Form
Forms are created in a dynamic manner, allowing each agency to tailor them to their specific needs. This section details the four key steps to create a form:
Create and configure the form attributes.
Design the form content.
Define the default form submission workflow.
Preview, test, and publish the form.
Step 1: Create and Configure the Form Attributes
The first step in creating a form involves crafting a new draft and defining its core attributes. During this phase, a new form is added to nFORM with key properties, including a name, description, instructions, and the responsible organization. Users can also duplicate an existing form and use it as a template. An adjacent export option allows form designers to efficiently export a form for future use.
Add a New Draft Form to nFORM
To create a new draft nFORM form:
Click the Forms option in the top menu.
Click the Add Form button at the top right of the Forms page.
Assign the Form to an Organization
Next, the form must be assigned to a parent organization. This determines where the form is listed and helps external users find the forms they need to submit. It also controls which internal users have access to manage the form and process submissions. Typically, the agency or program responsible for processing the form is designated as the responsible organization.
Select the appropriate parent organization when prompted, under “Select the organization the new form will be associated with.”
This setting can be updated later on the Forms Designer Form tab.
Configure the Form Attributes
The form designer consists of three main steps:
Form Details
Sections and Controls
Processing Steps and Actions
Online applications require all three steps to be completed, whereas offline forms only require Step 1 (Form Details). This section covers Step 1, which involves configuring the core form attributes.
There are many configuration attributes available for use within a form. However, each tab on the Form Details page includes fields that must be completed before a form can be published. These fields are marked with a red asterisk.
Overview Tab
The Overview tab is used to configure form information that is shared across all versions of the form. Fields on this tab are described below.
Field | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Responsible Organization | The parent organization or program for the form. | See Assign the Form to an Organization above for more information. |
Tag | A unique identifier for the form. | Form tags must be unique, as they are used to map any export, import, or other use of data back to the original form. This is especially important when an external system or database needs to access submission data outside of nFORM (such as for data integration). See the Tagging Fundamentals section in the Data Integration Guide for additional details on tagging. |
Identifying Keywords | Words that users can search to find the form. | Identifying keywords do not need to include the form name, form reference number, or form short description, which are already automatically searched by the finder. |
Form for Internal Use Only | A checkbox indicating whether the form should be available to the public. | If checked, the public will not have access to the form. |
… (Form Revision Notes) | Notes to communicate changes made to specific form versions. | A revision note can be edited or deleted by the user that created it. Revision notes automatically indicate what form version they were added to. |
Details Tab
The Details tab is used to configure the main form information. Fields on this tab are described below.
Field | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Status | Indicator of where a form is in its lifecycle. Options include:
| If a form in Draft status is a new version of an existing form, the most recent published version continues to be available for submissions. |
Change Status | Several buttons that can be used to change form statuses. Buttons include:
| Only draft versions of a form can be published. Only draft or published forms and form versions can be deactivated. Only published or inactive forms and form versions can be made into drafts, and only one version of a form can be a draft at a given time. Only forms with no open submissions can be deleted. If there are open submissions, they must be deleted before the form can be deleted. |
Form Name | Public title of the form that is displayed throughout the system. |
|
Reference Number | A unique numerical identifier for the form. | This field is often used to reference a paper form number. |
Short Description | Text displayed to support the user in understanding the purpose of the form and its intended audience. |
|
Activate Display of Alternative Submission Identifier | A checkbox indicating whether an alternate identifier is enabled. | Enabling an alternate identifier will be enabled allows the form designer to collect data from the submitter, which will then be displayed on the Processing Dashboard and submission headers. For more information on this feature, see the Alternative Identifier section of the Advanced Form Design Guide. |
General Instructions | Text displayed on the form’s home page to provide initial instruction for using and completing the form. |
|
Default Form Type Value on Form | The default form type for this form (for example, new, renewal, or modification). | When a user submits a form, they are prompted to select the reason for submission. This setting determines the default reason for this form type. “Off” can be selected when this attribute is not used. |
Lock Form Type Field on Form | An option to lock the Reason field on submissions. | Selecting “Yes” for this attribute will lock the Reason field value based on the configured default value, forcing this value to be consistent for the form. |
Copy as New – Enable Copy as New | An option to allow submitters to copy previous submissions to use as a base for new submissions from the Submission View page. |
|
Confidential Attachments – Label for Confidential Attachment Justification Field | If enabled, a label that appears above the confidential attachment justification field requesting that users provide a reason if they wish to keep an attachment confidential. | This label will only appear if a user identifies an attachment to be kept confidential. |
Reset Steps on Revision | An option to reset timelines and benchmarks for processing a submission following a revision of a submission. |
|
Reminders: Send NN days prior to target date | The number of days prior to a given processing step’s target date that "Near Target Date" notifications are issued. | These notifications can be configured in the Trigger Action field of the Workflow Notifications section of the Form Designer. Notifications are only sent to users who are configured to receive such alerts. For more information, see the Processing Step Notifications section below. |
Reminders: Complete form within NN days of submission | The number of days the agency is targeting to assign the form a finalizing status, such as Issued or Denied. |
|
Reminders: Complete form within NN days of being deemed complete | The number of days after a submission is deemed complete that the agency is targeting to assign the form a finalizing status, such as Issued or Denied. | This benchmark is only relevant if the Deemed Complete submission status is enabled. |
Date Tracking | A read-only field allowing for review of recent form activity. |
|
Use Tab
The Use tab is used to configure the manner in which a form will be used. Fields on this tab are described below.
Field | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Promote Form Version for Submissions on Publish? | The option to automatically apply published updates to a form to any draft submissions. If this box is selected, users are notified upon reopening their draft submission that it will be updated to the latest form version before they can continue the submission process. | To take advantage of this feature, this setting must be enabled prior to a submission being started. |
Online Submission Available? | The option to allow the form to be completed using the online submission. |
|
Allow Contact Re-Use? | The option to allow users to reuse entered contact information within a form submission. |
|
Offline Form Available? | The option to allow users to download an electronic copy of the form and submit it outside of nFORM. | This is generally used for forms that are not suitable for online submission or as an offline alternative. If this box is selected, the Allow to Print Blank Form? option will not be available, and additional fields will appear:
|
Allow to Print Blank Form? | The option to allow users to print a blank version of the form for reference. | If this box is selected, the Offline Form Available? option will not be available. Note this field only appears if configured in the system. |
Pre-Fill Tab
The Pre-fill tab is used to configure the data import process if utilized. For more information on this feature, see the Data Integration Guide.
Certification Tab
The Certification tab is used to configure what is presented to the user during the certification and signature process. Fields on this tab are described below.
Field | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Create Copy of Record | The option to create a Copy of Record (PDF archive) for each submission. | This is mandatory if signatures are required. |
Enable Review Step | The option to include a review step on the form, which summarizes all information entered. | This is mandatory if signatures are required. |
Signature(s) Required | The option to require one or more signatures upon submission. |
|
Digital (in-app) Signature | The option to allow users to digitally certify submissions directly in nFORM upon submission. If this option is selected, the following additional fields apply:
| Users who wish to sign digitally must obtain electronic signatory permissions through the agency. |
Hard-Copy Signature | The option to allow users to certify submissions by printing a signature form, which they (and any other signers) sign and mail to the agency. | If this option is selected, the form designer must select the default template or upload a custom hard-copy signature form using the Use Custom Template option in the Hard-Copy Signature Form area. |
Access: Unrestricted (user registration not required) | The option to allow anyone to submit the form. | Access settings are only available if Signature(s) Required is not selected. |
Access: Registered Users | The option to allow only users who have self-registered an account to submit the form. | Access settings are only available if Signature(s) Required is not selected. |
Access: Verified Registered Users (including Electronic Signature users) | The option to allow only users who have self-registered an account and been assigned the Verified User or Electronic Signature role for the parent organization to submit the form. | Access settings are only available if Signature(s) Required is not selected. |
Access: Require Explicit Permission to Submit Form | The option to allow only users who have been assigned the Authorized Submitter role for the parent organization to submit the form. | Access settings are only available if Signature(s) Required is not selected. |
Fees Tab
The Fees tab is used to configure any fees associated with submitting this form online. Fields on this tab are described below.
Field | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Account Number | The primary account number for where fees are distributed. | This is for reference and reporting purposes only. |
Payment Processing | Allowable payment methods for a form. Options include:
| Online payments allow the submitter to pay fees via a third party payment processor, if that feature is enabled and configured. Offline payments allow the submitter to print a remittance slip, write a check, and send a payment to the agency for any fees due. |
Require Payment Prior to Submission? | The option to require full payment prior to considering the form as submitted. | Submissions are assigned a Payment Due status after certification until payment is received. Once paid, the submission is assigned a Submitted status. If unchecked, payment will occur after submission. |
Payment Remittance Address | The address where form fee payments should be remitted. |
|
Use Default Payment Voucher? | The option to present the default nFORM payment voucher to the submitter. | If unchecked, a custom payment voucher template can be uploaded and used for submissions of this form, and additional fields will be available under the Payment Voucher Template heading. For more information about this feature, see the Payment Voucher Design Guide. |
Fee Type | Allowable fee types for a form. Options include:
|
|
Flat Fees | Any flat fees specific to the form. For each flat fee, the following must be provided:
| If Flat Fee is selected as the fee type, at least one fee must be provided. One or more flat fees can be established, and the user can select the appropriate fee (for example, small quantity generator or large quantity generator). |
Calculation Based Fees | The details of the calculated fee to process the form. | For more information about this feature, see the Fee Configuration section of the Advanced Form Design Guide. |
Contacts Tab
The Contacts tab is used to configure contact information for the form. This information appears on the submitter’s Form View and Submission View pages. Fields on this tab are described below.
Field | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Contact Address | The contact address associated with the form. |
|
Other Contact Methods | Other contact methods for the form. When adding other contact methods, the following additional fields are available:
|
|
Links Tab
The Links tab is used to configure links related to the form (such as statutes, regulations, user guides, or organization websites). These links appear on the submitter’s Form View page.
Clicking the add link… link or the Edit button under Actions opens the Manage Link page. Fields on this page are described below.
Field | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Link Name | A name for the link, which is used as the hyperlink text within the form. |
|
Link | The web address of the web resource. | This value must be a fully qualified web address (for example, “http://...” for a website). |
Display After | A custom sort order for the list of values. |
|
FAQs Tab
The FAQs tab is used to configure frequently asked questions for the form. These questions appear on the submitter’s Form View page.
Clicking the add faq… link or the Edit button under Actions opens the Manage FAQ page. Fields on this page are described below.
Field | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Question | The question text. |
|
Answer | The answer to the question. | The answer is displayed when a user selects the question. |
Display After | A custom sort order for the list of values. |
|
Integrations Tab
The Integrations tab is used to configure custom data integrations for the form. In particular, this area allows a user to customize where on the file system a copy of the submission package will be archived. To enable this option:
Select the Export submission data to the file system checkbox.
The file path under “Submission data will be exported to the following file system location” represents the base file location where submissions will be exported. This setting is configured at the system level in the configuration settings.
Select the Use the default file export path configured for your nFORM installation option to allow submissions to copied to the location specified.
Select the Customize the path based on the contents of the submission option to allow submissions to be copied to subfolders within the file path specified. This setting allows users to group like submissions (for example, by program area, division, or permit type).
For additional details on the formula used to identify the subfolder where the submission package is stored, see Appendix A: Formula Builder Examples in the Advanced Form Design Guide.
Text Templates Tab
The Text Templates tab is used to configure text templates for the form, which enable an organization to provide consistent communication with the submitter. These text templates are available for selection by processing staff when processing a submission.
Clicking the add standard text template… link or the Edit button under Actions opens the Manage Standard Text Template page. Fields on this page are described below.
Field | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Standard Text Template Title | A simple description of the standard text template, which is presented to users when selecting a template. |
|
Standard Text Template Definition | The standardized text that is imported into the note when selected. |
|
Display After | A custom sort order for the list of values. |
|
Document Templates Tab
The Document Templates tab is used to configure templates that can be used to generate documents within the form to support the submission process. For more information on this feature, see the Document Generation Guide.
Internal Data Tab
Internal data controls are available to allow additional internal-only data points to be added to a form to support the submission process. The Internal Data tab is used to configure these controls. For more information on this feature, see the Internal Data Controls section of the Advanced Design Guide.
Continue to Step 2
When satisfied with the initial form settings and details, click the Next button at the bottom right of the Form Designer to proceed to Step 2.
Step 2: Design the Form Content
The second step in creating a form is to design its structure by organizing content into logical sections and adding the necessary input controls. Grouping related questions helps make the form easier to understand and complete.
If nFORM was closed, follow this process to return to the Form Designer:
Click the Forms option in the top menu bar.
Locate the form in the list and click the Edit button.
Plan the Form Layout
The organization of an online form should enable users to easily understand and quickly fill out the form. Consider which form fields should be grouped into sections and the order in which these sections should be completed.
Many online forms are based on existing paper-based forms. Although some sections from the paper-based forms may be appropriate for the online version, others may no longer be necessary or helpful. Keep in mind that online controls offer unique capabilities, like displaying helpful text to users and validating values they enter.
For additional details on control types and configuration options available in nFORM, see Appendix A: Controls below.
Add Sections
Once the form layout has been planned, sections can be added.
To add a new section to a form, click the Add section + button.
This opens the Section page. Fields on this page are described below.
Field | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Section Name | A name to help users understand the purpose or organization of the section (for example, “Applicant Information” or “Owner Identification). | The name appears at the top of the section. This is the only required field on this page. |
Instructions | Information to help users complete the section. | This text appears immediately below the section name and above any controls within the section. |
Conditionally Display Section | The option to display the section conditionally. When selected, the Display Formula field is enabled for configuration. | For details on the Display Formula field, see the Conditional Display section of the Advanced Form Design Guide. |
Show Section Auto-Fill Control | The option to automatically populate data fields in the section during submission process. | The Auto-Fill option on the Contract Control works independently of this setting. For details on this feature, see the Data Integration Guide. |
Enable Form Pre-Fill (via Context ID) | The option to pre-fill section data upon creation of the submission, if pre-fill data is configured. | For details on this feature, see the Data Integration Guide. |
Disable “Clear Section” Button | The option to hide the Clear Section button for the section. |
|
Enable Repeater for this Section | The option to allow users to repeat the questions in this section for multiple items. For example, the same information asked in this section needs to be supplied for each tank onsite, or for each panel installed. If selected, the following additional fields apply:
| For details on dynamically assigned names, see the Display a Dynamically Assigned Name to a Section Repeater section in the Advanced Form Design Guide. The Repeater-Item Name Formula field supports very simple and very complex derivations. For details on using this field, see Appendix A: Formula Builder Examples in the Advanced Form Design Guide. |
This Section is Optional | The option to consider the section optional for submission. | If selected, validation only applies to values that are entered in the section. |
Tag | A unique identifier for the section. | Tags are used to map any export, import, or other use of data back to the original form field. This is especially important when an external system or database needs to access submission data outside of nFORM (such as for data integration). See the Tagging Fundamentals section in the Data Integration Guide for additional details on tagging. |
Once applicable settings and fields are configured, click the OK button to continue. If an error message appears, resolve the issue and click the OK button again.
Continue to add sections as needed by repeating these steps.
Section boxes can be dragged up or down to adjust the order in which they appear on the form.
To copy an entire section and its controls from an existing form, click the Add existing section + button. Note the existing section must be published to appear in the list of available forms. The existing section will not be affected by any changes made to the copy in the new form. To edit an existing section, click the Edit button next to the section.
Add Controls
Once a form has at least one section, controls can be added to the form to capture user inputs.
To add a control to a form:
Click the Controls button in the section the controls will be added to open the Controls page.
Locate the appropriate control type in the Available Controls area. Click the tab names to navigate between simple, formatted, and advanced control types.
Click a control type to add it to the section. The control is added to the bottom of the section by default.
In the Control dialog box, enter control information as appropriate. Fields with a red asterisk are required. Some common fields across control types are described below.
See Appendix A: Controls for a complete list of control types and configuration options.
Field | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Label | The field name or question that will be presented to users. |
|
Error/Help Tip | Text that is displayed when a user hovers their mouse over the user input field or enters an invalid value for a field, such as a letter in a number-only field. |
|
Read-Only? | The option to configure a control as read-only (or read-only under certain conditions). |
|
Conditionally Display Control? | The option to display the control conditionally. When selected, the Display Formula field is enabled for configuration. | For details on this feature, see the Conditional Display section of the Advanced Form Design Guide. |
Autopopulation Value | Information that is auto-populated in the form based on a user’s profile, such as name or email address. |
|
Default Value | The default value for the control field. |
|
Maximum Value | The maximum number of characters that a user can enter in this field. |
|
Required? | The option to configure the field as required. |
|
Tag | A unique identifier for the control. | Tags are used to map any export, import, or other use of data back to the original control. This is especially important when an external system or database needs to access submission data outside of nFORM (such as for data integration). See the Tagging Fundamentals section in the Data Integration Guide for additional details on tagging. |
Continue to add controls as needed by repeating these steps. To edit a control, click the Edit button next to the control.
Controls can be dragged up or down within the section container to adjust the order in which they appear.
Once applicable settings and fields are configured, click the Next Section button at the bottom right of the Form Designer to add controls to the next section.
Continue to Step 3
When satisfied with all sections and their controls, click the Return to Section List button.
When satisfied with the configuration of the form content, click the Next button at the bottom right of the Form Designer to proceed to Step 3.
Step 3: Define the Default Form Submission Workflow
The third step in creating a form is to define the default form submission workflow. This step includes the configuration of the form workflow steps as well as any associated step actions (such as notifications sent or documents generated). These are referred to as processing steps and actions in nFORM.
The default workflow can be adjusted later to meet unique form needs.
If nFORM was closed, follow this process to return to the Form Designer:
Click the Forms option in the top menu bar.
Locate the form in the list and click the Edit button.
If needed, click the Next button at the bottom right of the Form Designer to open Step 3.
Determine Processing Steps
Processing steps in nFORM typically follow an organization’s operating procedures for processing a form submission. Most forms have a unique step for each time the processing of the form requires another individual or team to perform a business activity.
Configure Processing Steps
Once the processing steps have been identified, they can be added to nFORM.
To streamline processing for agencies, steps that can be completed in parallel may be assigned to processing levels. A level of steps is not started until all steps on the previous level are completed.
An initial “Form Submitted” step is also automatically established for each form.
To add a new step to a form, click the Add step + button at the top right of the Form Designer to open the Step page. Fields on this page are described below.
Field | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Step Name | A name for the step (for example, “Administrative Review”). | This name will be used to represent the step in the process and any notifications. |
Target Completion NN Days after previous step completed | The targeted number of days to complete the step once it is activated (that is, once the previous step is completed). | This value is used to determine whether alert notifications should be sent. For more information about notifications, see the next section, Configure Actions. |
Default Assignment | The role or person to whom the step is automatically assigned when the step is activated. | To use this feature, roles must be defined for the parent organization. |
Hide from External User | The option to hide the step from the submitter’s view of the processing steps history. |
|
Once applicable settings and fields are configured, click the OK button to continue. If an error message appears, resolve the issue and click the OK button again.
Continue to add steps as needed by repeating this process. To edit a step, click on the Edit button next to the step.
Step levels can be dragged up or down to adjust the default order in which the steps are activated and completed during submission processing. Individual steps can also be dragged to a new position in a different step level (next to another step) to allow for parallel step processing.
Configure Actions
Each step supports actions to inform staff, submitters, and other interested parties of developments and to automate processing. These actions may be customized to trigger based on a step’s activation or completion, the nearing or passing of a target date, or fees being satisfied. Available actions include sending an email notification, marking a step as complete, changing a submission status, and generating a document.
It is recommended that actions be added to the step where the action is to be taken. For example, to notify a user when a submission is in management review, the step after compliance review, an action can technically be triggered by either compliance review being completed or management review being activated. The process works best when the action is added to the step where the interested party needs to act upon the information.
To add a new step action to a form:
On an existing step, click the Step Actions button to open the Step Actions page. All step actions that are currently configured for that step are listed.
Click the add step action… link to open the Manage Step Actions page.
The add step action… linkChoose the desired action from the Action to Perform drop-down menu. The fields presented will change to support the selected action type. Available actions and associated fields are described below. Additional configuration settings for common fields are described under Shared Attributes.
Autocomplete this Step: Automatically marks the step as completed when the selected Activate when the following occurs value occurs.
Activate when the following occurs: The activation trigger for the action.
Change Submission Status: Automatically changes the status of the submission to the selected Change Status To value when the selected Activate when the following occurs value occurs.
Activate when the following occurs: The activation trigger for the action.
Change Status To: The status that will be assigned to the submission.
Generate Document: Automatically generates a document using the selected Document Template when the selected Activate when the following occurs value occurs and notifies the interested parties.
Activate when the following occurs: The activation trigger for the action.
Document Template: The template that will be used to generate the document. (To use this feature, a document template must be added on Step 1 of the Form Designer. For more information, see the Document Generation Guide.)
Share document with applicant: If checked, the submitter will have the ability to view and download the generated document.
Email Attributes: Used to configure an email notification to the appropriate audience about the generation of the document.
Send Email: Sends an email to interested parties about the action performed.
Activate when the following occurs: The activation trigger for the action.
Email Attributes: Used to configure an email notification to the appropriate audience about the action.
Send Submission File: Transmits submission files to an external document storage system.
Activate when the following occurs: The activation trigger for the action.
Validate Internal Data: Allows that internal data controls be required and validated in order to complete a step. This action is often helpful for forms that require important data.
