Enhancing User Experience with LiveView Forms

In his talk, Andrew Ek focused on using LiveView to build better forms in the Elixir programming environment. He started by highlighting the joys of developing with Elixir and LiveView but also pointed out that there is room for improving the user experience when working with forms—particularly those used for business applications that often involve user interaction. Ek provided insights into best practices for form design: error messages should be close to the related input field, forms should map to the user’s mental model, use of semantic HTML elements, graceful error recovery, and avoiding disabling the submit button. He demonstrated how form validations can be improved using different variations and approaches, stressing that validations should show errors at the appropriate time but not before the user has had a chance to provide input. Throughout the talk, Andrew iteratively improved a sample form, showcasing the benefits of using semantic HTML inputs and Elixir's validation mechanisms to create user-friendly forms that provide feedback in a useful manner. Despite improvements, Ek noted challenges such as handling disconnects gracefully and giving feedback as soon as aberrations from expected inputs are detected. He laid out the limitations and considerations for when to use or not use LiveView, particularly in cases where user experience is crucial or when dealing with latency constraints. Andrew concluded with a reminder to balance developer experience with user needs and to leverage the tools provided by Elixir and LiveView to enhance forms, aiming for predictability over perfection.