Deep Dive: Government Forms

Government forms epitomize Zimmerman’s Law of Complaints.

That is, “Nobody notices when things go right.”

Recently, I had the opportunity to start digging into what makes government forms work — for the people who collect them and the people who complete them. And what I found delighted my clear communicator’s soul.

At their best, government forms boost:

• Trust and transparency

• Equity

• Efficiency

At their worst — and we can all recall examples of terrible government forms — government forms can:

• Make people feel excluded or, worse, threatened or incriminated

• Add to bureaucracy and inefficiency

• Put up barriers and create burdens, especially for people who are already the most vulnerable

I won’t lie, this is the kind of plain language and human-centered design side quest I live for as a freelancer. I spent some time sorting through the available resources and guidance. And for me, 1 resource floated to the top: A Field Guide to Fix Government Forms, a free resource from The Lab @ DC.

They lay out the anatomy of a good form so clearly, from including the agency logo to setting expectations for next steps. And they back it up with process guidance (put together your dream team!) and a whole section with worksheets to help you work through step by step.

If you’re a public servant who works with forms or, like me, a consultant who often supports public sector clients, I encourage you to check out the Field Guide. It could make all the difference for the people you serve!