Designing intersection flows

When forms give users the option to continue in two or more alternative directions, such as registering as a new customer or signing in as a returning one, unfortunate users will take the wrong turn if it isn't unmistakably obvious which way they should go. In this article, we'll take a look at a few intersection flows that have caused users problems.

Communicating to users how to fill out a form where each field has to be filled out in a linear manner is relatively simple. Most users even understand when we try to tell them that some fields are optional and some are required. But when we ask users to choose between two or more alternative ways of interacting with forms, things can go wrong if we don't communicate the options in a clear and obvious way.

Intersections flows come in many guises. In the following we'll look at a few that have caused users problems. (Via GUUUI)