Update! So happy to report that this pattern is now live. While I was not able to finish this pattern during my time working on this contract, the pattern is almost exactly how I initially envisioned it before I left for maternity leave.
This pattern is a work in progress and has not yet been finalized in the VA design system. When it is, it will be located on the patterns section of the design system website.
I was tasked researching and designing a new form pattern for the VA design system that will standardize how designers/form owners ask WHO is filling out a form and FOR WHOM. VA services and benefits are incredibly complex and in many instances the end user or beneficiary is a Veteran relative, a Veteran’s legal representative, or even an employee of a care facility or cemetery.
This pattern demonstrates complex service design, information architecture, and content expertise. I have worked closely with VA content strategists to develop and standardize new language, such as “non-Veteran claimant” and “third-party representative” that will also be codified in the VA word list once the pattern is finalized.
View dev mode link for each Figma page of the WIP form respondent pattern:
- Pattern overview
- Pattern local components (i.e. components that I created directly, not taken from the VA Figma component library)
- Pattern behavior (This page includes accessiblity and usage annotations to inform designers & developers about how to use/adapt this pattern for their local needs)
In addition to the pattern itself, I created documentation to help product teams decide how and when to use the form respondent pattern to help improve form user experience.
Pattern use decision tree
Form submitter pattern architecture
Impact
- Standardizes a highly complex pattern common within VA forms.
- Encourages good service design and IA practices across product teams who are modernizing and/or digitizing VA forms.
- Reduces silent failures because correct use of this pattern clarifies who needs to be notified if there is an issue with form submission.
- Allows for better form content customization because of clarity of roles.
