Caroline Jarrett

@cjforms

Forms and survey specialist. Always keen to try to answer your questions about making better forms (and if you must, maybe even those about surveys). Effortmark.co.uk

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Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· 2d

In today’s episode of #FixTheForms, I am again infuriated by the ableist assumptions behind this question, which are: - the only reason for contacting a GP is a new(ish) symptom - we haven’t yet been told what the problem is … Hopeless for those who are managing long term conditions/recovery

Heading: I need medical advice
Box: enter the main symptom you need In advice for (200 characters)
Put in your main symptom, not what you think the problem is. Then read with care to choose the best option for your needs.

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Jul 6

Here’s one of the quilts from quiltsbymarlene.com If you like this one, please visit the site for more. #QuiltSky

A detailed brown owl glares out from a background of quilted green leaves with yellow-orange maple leaves in the foreground.

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Jul 1

Thanks, please do. I’d be delighted if they fixed it, but I think the form is from a healthcare provider. However, the Accurx page is inaccessible too. Here’s a screenshot of the similar “converter” for weight. I can’t read that.

A page “Patient Support: How to convert weight: imperial to metric” with an illegible table

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Jul 1

In today’s episode of #FixTheForms, an outstanding example of lazy forms design. This question expects me to know my height in metres (I don’t) and the page it directs me to is an illegible conversion table. The failure to link the link in the text as indicated is an extra painful touch.

1. Please enter your height in metres.

For example, 1.67 metres.
If you only know your height in feet and inches, please use [this converter] (long link address)

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Jun 7

I do hope it comes back. Getting the basic arithmetic correct would also be nice. It continues to tell me that I took a total of 14,828 steps in the last 3 months. I don’t especially want a 3-month rolling average but if they’re forcing me to have one, getting the arithmetic correct is a minimum.

Screenshot from Google Health. A three-month rolling average for April to June claims 7,421 steps per day which may or may not be correct, with a total steps 14,842 which absolutely definitely is totally wrong

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· May 31

Today’s absolute shocker from the ghastly Google Health that has replaced useful FitBit. It’s telling me that I’ve hit an average of 11024 steps in May and walked a total of 11024 steps. It seems not to know that there are 31 days in May. (The correct total is about 305000 and today so far 226)

Screenshot from Google Health showing variable steps throughout May with the wrong claim that the average is 11024 and the total is also 11024

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· May 27

Let’s lighten the mood a little with this exciting pair of donut charts from the BBC. Enjoy! www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis...

Two charts about tennis prize money. The first chart has four bar charts comparing prize money earned by the men’s no 1 (£19million total, of which £5.5m Grand Slams), women’s no 1 (£14m total, of which £7m Grand Slams) and then a lesser-ranked man (£350,000 of which £138,000 Grand Slams) and a lesser-ranked woman (£769,000 of which £442,000 Grand Slams).

So far so good.

The next chart is bewildering. There are two donuts, one for men and one for women - but why? The parts of the donut do not relate to each other. Nor do the figures in each chart relate to the graphics.

Men’s donut: two percentages 39% and 28% portrayed as adding up to 100% and shown on segments of approximately 60% and 40%

Women’s donut: two percentages 57 % and 50% portrayed as adding up to 100% and shown on segments of about 55% and 45%

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· May 14

Just set up my machine to start quilting this quilt #QuiltSky

Corner of a quilt sandwich on a black wooden table. The quilt top has an assortment of mostly Beatrix Potter themed fabrics in reds, greys, and a bit of dark green. The white wadding is visible and the quilt back is a mid-grey fabric with scattered white, light grey, and dark grey stars

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Mar 21

Somehow I left out a screenshot of the surreal question, so here it is:

Call for Evidence.

3. How would you like to complete this form?
Answer all questions
Only answer questions relevant to me

Buttons for Back and Next

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Mar 21

Question 12 is a doozy. This one is SO going into my screenshot library. I would absolutely have loved to test it with my favourite small business owners, the mobile hairdressers. All of them lovely people and experts at their jobs. ...

Initial Questions
12.Have you integrated any software or business accounts you use to help manage your record keeping with any other systems that you use to manage sales and purchases?

Yes

No

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Mar 21

The next page has questions 6 to 10 which are quite boring so I'll skip them, plus question 11 which is this gem. Clearly the person who typed it in forgot that > means "greater than" and < means "less than". Which is why we type out the actual words rather than using the sigh, people ...

How much time do you spend per week on record keeping?

> 1 hour

1 - 3 hours

3 - 5 hours

< 5 hours

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Mar 21

As I have no idea how to answer this question, I'm going to try it both ways. I'll try 'all questions' first because it's first. I could definitely be more than one of these. I'd argue that I personally could well be in the category of a 'business' and 'software or business systems developer'. ...

Call for Evidence
Required
About You
4.Are you responding to this survey as:

A business (including sole traders)

A tax adviser (such as an accountant or bookkeeper)

A software and/or business systems developer

A business representative organisation (such as an industry body, trade association)

Other

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Mar 21

... a tiny font but never mind, increasing the font size a few times makes it legible. The first page has this surreal message: "Never give out your password". While this advice is sound, it's strange in context where the respondent isn't creating or using a password. ...

Button 'Next' with the message 'Never give out your password." and a link to 'Report abuse'.

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Mar 21

I did not find it on my first attempt because the link is hidden near the start of the page, and not mentioned at all in the section called (drumroll please) "8. How to respond". Silly me! I ought to have ...

8. How to respond
A summary of the questions in this call for evidence is included at chapter 6.

Responses should be sent by 4 June, by email to integrationcallforevidence@hmrc.gov.uk.

Please do not send responses to the Call for Evidence Coordinator.

Paper copies of this document or copies in Welsh and alternative formats (large print, audio and Braille) may be obtained free of charge from the above address.

When responding please say if you are a business, individual or representative body. In the case of representative bodies please provide information on the number and nature of people you represent.

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Mar 10

In today's episode of #FixTheForms, I got this in a long email about how to do a complex app form. The 'ble A' is not a screenshot error - that's what the email actually says'. Do we have an abbreviation for 'too illegible / did not read'? Whole email useless: app had adequate instructions.

Screenshot of part of an email. It's on a dark teal/green background. At the top, the text says 'ble A - Proof of identification' in a reasonably legible white font that contrasts adequately with the dark background. The rest is painfully illegible as it is in red text that creates an optical illusion of pulsating text against the background.

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Jan 29

Here's another personal favourite. When I pressed 'Cancel' at the end, I got this dialogue box where 'Cancel' means something different. And I didn't need a registration link to try registering. Or maybe I did? who knows. On my second attempt, I managed to Leave.

Screenshot
Are you sure? You'll lose your profess if you leave this page, and you'll have to request a new registration link.
Two buttons: Cancel and Leave

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Jan 18

Very good point. From the photo, it looks to me that there’s some residual glue in the empty cup that would need digging out somehow. Haven’t tried mending anything quite like that myself and I’m only an occasional beader/mender now but I made a zillion snowflakes when not well in 2017.

Beaded “snowflakes” in gold, red and blue with white and pearl beads photographed on a black wood table

Beaded “snowflakes” with white and pearl beads accented in other colours photographed on a black wood table

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Jan 14

Survey panel membership is the gift that keeps on giving. One of my favourites from today: when I phone an organisation, do I want to talk to a person, to a chat bot / intelligent robot, or do I have no preference? Let's see how YOU answer this one. Replies please :)

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Jan 9

Another update on today's episode of #FixTheForms It's hard to show how baffling the Companies House experience was without dozens of screenshots, but here's a specific example of lack of user-centred design. My company number has seven digits. Pro tip: try adding those leading zero for me OR ...

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Dec 18

I really enjoyed making it and want to do more in the same pattern. Didn’t have anyone in mind for it so it was serendipitous that my friend told me she had just redecorated her living room with a beautiful blue wallpaper with white flowers that will co-ordinate nicely with this quilt. #QuiltSky

Another picture of the front of the quilt, with my husband’s feet just visible as he holds it up in the sun

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Dec 18

The back is a pale blue sheet that I cleared from my late mother’s flat and the binding is a thin blue stripe on white from a charity shop duvet cover #QuiltSky

Back of the quilt, photo taken in the garden. Shows the wavy line quilting

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Dec 18

I particularly wanted to show off this fabric, the large scale print in the “Sandy Toes” collection by Anita Jeram This picture also shows that I quilted it in gentle random-ish waves #QuiltSky

A close up of the quilt with a large square of cream fabric printed with sketched seaside scenes in brown and teal. There’s a seal on a rock, two puffins, and a scruffy little dog sniffing at a crab in front of a sandcastle with a bucket and spade next to it. Just seen around the big square there are bits of blue striped fabric, a blue fabric with white sailing boats, a grey-green with white fish and dark grey seaweed, and a cream with humpback whales in dark blue

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Dec 18

I’ve got a #QuiltFinish to talk about today. Came together quickly in seaside fabrics and I’m extra pleased with it especially because a friend also loved it so that’s her birthday sorted #QuiltSky

A quilt in shades of pale blue and cream with a few hints of brown and burgundy and a scattering of navy squares

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Nov 22

Yup. My friend became a wheelchair user last year and has been diligent with her exercises especially for upper-body strength and she likes to be self-propelled as much as possible. Same problem. She’s passed some tops to me for my #QuiltSky endeavours. Made her fave top into a bag for her.

Drawstring bag up cycled from a patterned blouse in shades of light blue, dark blue, and cream with the lining made from a white shirt with faint pink and blue grid lines. The pearl buttons that decorated the blouse now decorate the bag. The drawstrings are also made from the blouse fabric.

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Nov 19

We have had some strange white settling rain in Leighton Buzzard. Context: we’ve lived here for 40 years and this is the earliest in November we’ve ever had snow so far as we can recall

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Oct 26

We rented one at Tywyn that was right on the beach, a short walk along the promenade to a very good pub, and with more easily walkable eating/drinking options a little inland. The beach was about 2m / 10ft below the little wall with handy steps down. Via Lounge Holidays www.lounge-holidays.co.uk

A picnic table with plates of salad and other picnic food with a low wall separating it from the sea

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Sep 21

Thanks @northernballet.bsky.social for wonderful performance of “Merlin” yesterday evening. Loved the interpretation and energy sustained through final show of the run. Sorry to miss Leeds friends - chatted out after full-on #SDinGov. Will be back, especially if new-to-me train route works out

Sneaky curtain call photo of the cast of a ballet in a theatre

In the foreground, the backs of applauding audience members

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Sep 21

As a frequent traveller through the user-savage London Euston train station, I greatly appreciate an astonishingly innovative aspect of Leeds station: seats with plenty of legroom/luggage space on the platform with a good view of a decent departure board. Such luxury!

View across a station platform. Back of a seat just seen in left-hand corner of the picture. Full departures information board looks illegible in this photo but is reasonably legible in reality

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Sep 19

Thanks everyone for another terrific #SDinGOV Train journey south is an opportunity to get started on the sticky notes from my workshop on #ErrorRates and #DataQuality. A lot to reflect on Plus, need to update @pixlz.com as she had to miss out due to family emergency.

A train table with piles of paper category sheets covered in lots of different coloured sticky notes, propped up on a flowery blue handbag

Caroline Jarrett@cjforms· Jul 15

Today’s episode of #FixTheForms relates to this visit to the GP. Husband has tremor caused by anti-rejection drugs. There’s no way he can write small enough to fill in this label - or any of the other 4 pots he has to do #acessibility