| After architecture and object-oriented programming, design patterns were applied to user interfaces. However, few design patterns exist for online application forms, and this despite a number of problems addressed in several studies. Since design patterns serve to document the best solutions to recurring problems in a given context, it seemed relevant to develop a design patterns library for online application forms. Such a library could be useful to a team of human factor engineers with different levels of training and work experience in ergonomics, as is the case at Desjardins. By working from a shared knowledge base, human factor engineers could use the same rules and help bring all team members to the same level of knowledge.;The literature helped us to come with a list of 30 patterns to be written. These patterns were created with a web-style writing: short sentences and lists. The problem, the context and the solution were presented in a single table to match the definition of a design pattern. We showed the underlying rationale, examples and links to other patterns. The design pattern library was made available on Desjardins's network.;Then, we evaluated its capacity to help designers create online application forms more easily. The evaluation was made by means of a test involving three groups of subjects: four human factors professionals with experience and three human factors junior professionals currently working on the www.desjardins.com website, and four people who are not human factors specialists but have some knowledge of the discipline. During the tests, we gathered comments about working with design patterns and using the library, the numbers of design patterns read vs. used and the wireframe mock-ups made by the participants.;Principal results show that the participants with limited experience in human factors were able to find the same solutions as those with more experience. We also noted that the solutions found by persons using the same design patterns were very similar, showing that the patterns are understood the same way by all participants of the three groups. We noticed that participants who used design patterns at the beginning of their work created a good structure to go on. Participants who used design patterns to validate their solutions redid their wireframe mock-ups because the design patterns' solutions were judged superior to their own solutions. Participants' comments on the design patterns and on the library were very positive. They also helped identify areas for improvement, such as the creation of new patterns and linking the library of design patterns to Desjardins online application form norms.;The goal of this study is to develop, test and validate a design patterns library of online application forms. To reach this goal, we did the following. First we studied the literature on design patterns and on common problems met during the design of forms. Then, we demonstrated that a design patterns library is relevant in Desjardins's current environment and for teams working on its website. |
