This master’s thesis examines the design and functionality of electronic forms as a key tool for data collection in the digital environment. The aim of the research was to analyse a range of software solutions for form creation – from traditional office editors to dedicated web-based tools – and to identify those most suitable for contemporary users in terms of the balance between functionality and usability.
The research was conducted in two phases. The first phase involved a professional comparative analysis and heuristic evaluation of seven selected tools (Microsoft Word, Excel, LibreOffice Writer, Adobe Acrobat Pro, Google Forms, JotForm, and Typeform). The second phase consisted of usability testing, including task completion time measurement, semi-structured interviews, and the System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire.
The results indicate that traditional office editors are less suitable for creating interactive forms, as they require advanced technical knowledge for basic functionalities. Furthermore, the findings show that greater functionality does not necessarily result in a better user experience. Participants completed tasks faster and reported significantly higher usability ratings when using Google Forms compared to JotForm.
The conclusions confirm a shift in form creation towards web-based solutions and support the hypothesis that, for occasional users, simplicity and interface automation are more important than advanced features, as complexity leads to cognitive overload.
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