Better Forms Standards

Better Forms for Better Regulation Design Standards

The Better Regulation Initiative has developed standards for Nova Scotia government forms, based on extensive research into best practices. As more and more forms are developed using the Better Forms for Better Regulation standards, Nova Scotians will find government forms to be consistent, professional, and easy to look at and complete.

The following standards have been applied to make templates that government employees and contractors can use when developing forms. It is very useful to refer to these downloadable templates while reviewing the standards.

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Electronic Format

  • Create basic, general-use forms in Microsoft Word or Wordperfect using the DIY Templates.
  • Produce complex, high-volume, or high-profile forms in appropriate page layout software.
  • Create fields and save forms in Adobe Acrobat version 8.0 or higher to create an interactive PDF form that people can save and e-mail.

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Design The Form Header

Forms must be clearly identified as Nova Scotia government forms. Their purpose must also be clearly identified in the form header.

The form header must include the Nova Scotia visual identity (stylized flag and provincial name logotype) and a title. The form header must appear at the top of the first page of every form. The header usually also includes a department name. The header is completed by a line rule that separates it from the body of the form. Here is how these elements must be placed within the form header:

Visual Identity

  • Include a black and white version of the Nova Scotia visual identity mark in the top left corner, flush left.
  • For more information about the Nova Scotia Visual Identity Program, visit Communications Nova Scotia and click on "VIP Standards Manual", under "Policies."

Department Name

  • If the department name is required, place it beneath the logo, in Arial Narrow bold (or Helvetica Condensed bold), 11.5 or 12 point, upper and lower case, flush left, aligned under the Nova Scotia provincial identity mark.
  • If the division name is necessary, it is placed beneath the department name, in Arial Narrow (or Helvetica Condensed), 10 point, upper and lower case, flush left, aligned under the department name.

Form Title

  • Identify both the purpose and subject of the form in the title. (For example: Application for Approval to Alter a Watercourse.) Use as few and simple words as possible.
  • Place the title flush right directly across from the visual identity mark.
  • Use Arial Narrow bold (or Helvetica Condensed bold), 18 point, upper and lower case.

Line Rule

  • Underline the header with a 1.5-point line rule, to be placed beneath the logo and text to separate the header from the body of the form.

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Design The Body Of The Form With An Open Layout

Less is more when it comes to making forms easy to read and complete. That is why the Better Forms for Better Regulation standards specify an open layout for general use forms. The various sections of the form are not enclosed in boxes. Instead, they are separated by white space.

White Space And Margins

  • Use margins of at least half an inch (13 mm) on either side, and half an inch to one inch (13 to 26 mm) top and bottom to create enough white space around the entire form.
  • Ensure that enough white space separates lines of text and the line rules where people must enter information.
  • Ensure that enough white space separates the sections of the form — use double or triple spacing, depending on how much text is on the form.
  • If the form will be filed in a binder, the margins should be at least three quarters of an inch (20 mm) to ensure that no data is lost due to hole punching.

Typography

  • Use Arial Narrow (or Helvetica Condensed) throughout the form.
  • Ensure that the text is flush left, never justified across the page. Research shows that justified text is hard to read.
  • Put section heads in bold type, 14 to 16 point.
  • Put questions in regular type, 9 to 12 point.
  • Use the larger text sizes for public uses and older audiences.

Contact Information

Contact information should be provided in the final section of the body of the form, which specifies where the form filler must send the completed form. In addition to the mailing address, include a phone number or e-mail address that people can contact if they have questions.

Do not crowd too much information onto one page. It is better to have a multi-page form that is easy to look at, read and complete, than a one-page form that is difficult to read and fill out.

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Closing The Form With A Comprehensive Footer

The form footer contains vital information for both the clients who fill in the form and the government employees who manage the form.

Footer Specifications

  • Separate the footer from the body of the form by a 1.5-point line rule.
  • Place the footer information beneath the line rule.
  • Place the program website address on the left, flush left, in Arial Narrow bold (or Helvetica Condensed bold), 8 points.
  • Place the form identification information on the right, flush right, in Arial Narrow bold (or Helvetica Condensed), 8 point. This could include the department or program name (or a code), a version number, and a date that indicates when the form was created or last revised.
  • If the form is more than one page long, number the pages. Centre the page number, in Arial Narrow bold (or Helvetica Condensed), 8 point. Be sure to indicate which page of the form it is, for example, "page 1 of 3." This way, clients will know they have all the pages.

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