Purpose
This page establishes the required standards, deliverables, and verification points for collecting requirements, designing forms, and preparing forms to be built within Dynamic Forms.
It ensures all forms follow a consistent structure, meet required ADA and WCAG compliance and Yale University standards, and include the information needed to design an accurate workflow, capture valid data, and integrate efficiently with other systems.
These standards apply to every form, regardless of size, complexity, or department.
Mandatory Pre-Build Standards and Requirements
To validate forms are designed efficiently, the following deliverables and checkpoints are completed:
Form Mockup (Requirements Document)
A structured draft (commonly Word) that fully documents the form’s content, layout, rules, and email notifications. The mockup must include:
- Purpose and Overview
- Clearly state the form’s purpose.
- Include the form title and applicable department logo.
- Provide any introductory instructions.
- Indicate if the form is one-time or recurring.
- Form Fields and Content
- List all fields and their types (Text, Dropdown, Checkbox, File Upload, etc.)
- Define required/optional status and formatting guidelines (character limits, date formats).
- Identify fields that will be pre-filled (Banner API, User Profile).
- Flag calculated fields or fields that affect routing.
- Note any questions that require external contact.
- Add help text, rules or guidance where needed.
- Layout and Sectioning
- Define page structure (single page, multi-section, etc.).
- Determine whether the form should be split into sections or multiple forms.
- Organize questions, headers, section breaks, and spacing logically for readability and accessibility.
- Workflow and Form Logic
- Specify workflow type (sequential, conditional, etc.).
- Document skip logic, field dependencies, and auto-populated fields.
- Map routing paths for all participants.
- Define all possible outcomes (approved, denied, returned, where form ends, etc.).
- Participants and Roles
- Identify all participant roles.
- Define field visibility and editing permissions per role.
- Make note of content that should be hidden from certain participants.
- Specify if enabling saving drafts, return for revision, etc.
- Include participant signature(s) and any agreement requirements.
- Access, Permissions and Security
- Specify who can access the form and its data.
- Note accessibility requirements (readability, navigation, screen reader compatibility).
- Use date/time stamps and participant acknowledgment (e.g., “I agree” checkboxes) wherever required.
- Integration and Data Flow
- Identify system integrations (service calls, static datasets, API to student database, etc.).
- Include any automated communications or status updates.
- Note whether the form must send data to another system, such as AppX or a departmental shared drive.
- Legal, Consent and Retention
- Document any parental consent requirements, or sensitive data considerations.
- Define retention, financial retention requirements, and archival policies.
Workflow Diagram
A clear diagram (commonly Visio) of the form process outlining:
- Participants and routing between them.
- Conditional rules at each decision point.
- Outcome(s) handling (approved, denied, return for revisions, end form, etc.).
We strongly suggest reviewing the Form Mockup and Workflow Diagram with the Dynamic Forms team before you start building a form.