Caroline Jarrett
@cjforms.bsky.social
Forms and survey specialist.
Always keen to try to answer your questions about making better forms (and if you must, maybe even those about surveys).
Effortmark.co.uk
Always keen to try to answer your questions about making better forms (and if you must, maybe even those about surveys).
Effortmark.co.uk
I’m genuinely pleased for everyone who has had a great 2025 and feels like sharing that news.
Also aware that the year has been at best mixed for many, so here is my annual reminder again.
Also aware that the year has been at best mixed for many, so here is my annual reminder again.
We are getting to the season of end-of-year reflections, so it’s time to post my annual reminder.
If you helped someone this year or let someone else help you, then you’ve had a good year.
That’s enough.
If you helped someone this year or let someone else help you, then you’ve had a good year.
That’s enough.
December 24, 2025 at 12:22 PM
I’m genuinely pleased for everyone who has had a great 2025 and feels like sharing that news.
Also aware that the year has been at best mixed for many, so here is my annual reminder again.
Also aware that the year has been at best mixed for many, so here is my annual reminder again.
Reposted by Caroline Jarrett
We are getting to the season of end-of-year reflections, so it’s time to post my annual reminder.
If you helped someone this year or let someone else help you, then you’ve had a good year.
That’s enough.
If you helped someone this year or let someone else help you, then you’ve had a good year.
That’s enough.
December 17, 2025 at 11:21 AM
We are getting to the season of end-of-year reflections, so it’s time to post my annual reminder.
If you helped someone this year or let someone else help you, then you’ve had a good year.
That’s enough.
If you helped someone this year or let someone else help you, then you’ve had a good year.
That’s enough.
So many of my favourite things all here at once.
This is a new entry in my (short) list of “every time I spot this or it crosses my mind I must watch it”
Thank you Joe Lycett and BBC Radio4. There are still a few corners of the BBC that justify the license fee for me.
This is a new entry in my (short) list of “every time I spot this or it crosses my mind I must watch it”
Thank you Joe Lycett and BBC Radio4. There are still a few corners of the BBC that justify the license fee for me.
December 24, 2025 at 11:53 AM
So many of my favourite things all here at once.
This is a new entry in my (short) list of “every time I spot this or it crosses my mind I must watch it”
Thank you Joe Lycett and BBC Radio4. There are still a few corners of the BBC that justify the license fee for me.
This is a new entry in my (short) list of “every time I spot this or it crosses my mind I must watch it”
Thank you Joe Lycett and BBC Radio4. There are still a few corners of the BBC that justify the license fee for me.
I’m delighted that Holger won #GameOfWool because of his creativity and precision.
(Plus I enjoyed the eye-rolls A Lot)
(Plus I enjoyed the eye-rolls A Lot)
I’m watching #GameOfWool primarily for Holger’s eye-rolls and we’re getting plenty of them already
December 21, 2025 at 8:59 PM
I’m delighted that Holger won #GameOfWool because of his creativity and precision.
(Plus I enjoyed the eye-rolls A Lot)
(Plus I enjoyed the eye-rolls A Lot)
I’m watching #GameOfWool primarily for Holger’s eye-rolls and we’re getting plenty of them already
December 21, 2025 at 8:05 PM
I’m watching #GameOfWool primarily for Holger’s eye-rolls and we’re getting plenty of them already
In today’s episode of #FixTheForms, an accurate and heartfelt plea from @tomski.com that will resonate with all of use who have had to care for someone who has lost capacity (often older relatives) or hasn’t yet got capacity (often babies and young children).
If you ever get the chance to design, or redesign a public service/platform, please *start* with delegated authority user needs. It's *the* hard problem you can't afford to leave until later.
December 21, 2025 at 11:56 AM
In today’s episode of #FixTheForms, an accurate and heartfelt plea from @tomski.com that will resonate with all of use who have had to care for someone who has lost capacity (often older relatives) or hasn’t yet got capacity (often babies and young children).
Reposted by Caroline Jarrett
The Department for Elfish Affairs 😉(totally real has tasked you with completing your Elf-cessability induction at Santa HQ.
To become a fully-fledged junior Elf-cessability (accessibility) Specialist, you’ll need to take on a set of short accessibility challenges. elfcessability.lorithomson.co.uk
To become a fully-fledged junior Elf-cessability (accessibility) Specialist, you’ll need to take on a set of short accessibility challenges. elfcessability.lorithomson.co.uk
December 18, 2025 at 5:06 PM
The Department for Elfish Affairs 😉(totally real has tasked you with completing your Elf-cessability induction at Santa HQ.
To become a fully-fledged junior Elf-cessability (accessibility) Specialist, you’ll need to take on a set of short accessibility challenges. elfcessability.lorithomson.co.uk
To become a fully-fledged junior Elf-cessability (accessibility) Specialist, you’ll need to take on a set of short accessibility challenges. elfcessability.lorithomson.co.uk
I’ve got a #QuiltFinish to talk about today.
Came together quickly in seaside fabrics and I’m extra pleased with it especially because a friend also loved it so that’s her birthday sorted
#QuiltSky
Came together quickly in seaside fabrics and I’m extra pleased with it especially because a friend also loved it so that’s her birthday sorted
#QuiltSky
December 18, 2025 at 3:33 PM
I’ve got a #QuiltFinish to talk about today.
Came together quickly in seaside fabrics and I’m extra pleased with it especially because a friend also loved it so that’s her birthday sorted
#QuiltSky
Came together quickly in seaside fabrics and I’m extra pleased with it especially because a friend also loved it so that’s her birthday sorted
#QuiltSky
We are getting to the season of end-of-year reflections, so it’s time to post my annual reminder.
If you helped someone this year or let someone else help you, then you’ve had a good year.
That’s enough.
If you helped someone this year or let someone else help you, then you’ve had a good year.
That’s enough.
December 17, 2025 at 11:21 AM
We are getting to the season of end-of-year reflections, so it’s time to post my annual reminder.
If you helped someone this year or let someone else help you, then you’ve had a good year.
That’s enough.
If you helped someone this year or let someone else help you, then you’ve had a good year.
That’s enough.
Reposted by Caroline Jarrett
A personal reflection on focus, autism, and accessibility, what focus has given me in clarity and self-acceptance, and why I’m choosing to keep building better systems, even when clarity is hard to hold, as we head into 2026.
annaecook.com/writing/2025...
annaecook.com/writing/2025...
Focus (2025) — Anna E. Cook
A personal reflection on focus, autism, and accessibility, what focus has given me in clarity and self-acceptance, and why I’m choosing to keep building better systems, even when clarity is hard to ho...
annaecook.com
December 15, 2025 at 6:02 PM
A personal reflection on focus, autism, and accessibility, what focus has given me in clarity and self-acceptance, and why I’m choosing to keep building better systems, even when clarity is hard to hold, as we head into 2026.
annaecook.com/writing/2025...
annaecook.com/writing/2025...
Reposted by Caroline Jarrett
In honour of Rob Reiner, have David Moore's thread on the best sword fight in movie history and exactly how nerdy it is.
As you may know, I have stopped using Twitter, and have decided to reproduce some of my more memorable threads here for posterity. Here’s one I hold wrote after a particularly engaging swordfighting lesson.
Buckle up, swordfighting fans, because I *have* studied my Agrippa!
[BIG ASS THREAD]
Buckle up, swordfighting fans, because I *have* studied my Agrippa!
[BIG ASS THREAD]
a man reading a book to a young boy
Alt: a man reading a book to a young boy
media.tenor.com
December 15, 2025 at 8:46 AM
In honour of Rob Reiner, have David Moore's thread on the best sword fight in movie history and exactly how nerdy it is.
In today’s episode of #FixTheForms, this new page from GDS has a broken link as its only content and lacks the usual form for reporting the problem
#Accessibility #GovDesign
Please could someone on cross-gov report it for me? Thanks
guidance.publishing.service.gov.uk/how-to-publi...
#Accessibility #GovDesign
Please could someone on cross-gov report it for me? Thanks
guidance.publishing.service.gov.uk/how-to-publi...
December 15, 2025 at 11:02 AM
In today’s episode of #FixTheForms, this new page from GDS has a broken link as its only content and lacks the usual form for reporting the problem
#Accessibility #GovDesign
Please could someone on cross-gov report it for me? Thanks
guidance.publishing.service.gov.uk/how-to-publi...
#Accessibility #GovDesign
Please could someone on cross-gov report it for me? Thanks
guidance.publishing.service.gov.uk/how-to-publi...
Really delighted to hear that Sara Wachter-Boettcher will be @uxscotland.bsky.social this year.
If you haven’t already heard it, now is a good time to listen to her podcast with @amyhupe.bsky.social
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/s...
If you haven’t already heard it, now is a good time to listen to her podcast with @amyhupe.bsky.social
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/s...
December 13, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Really delighted to hear that Sara Wachter-Boettcher will be @uxscotland.bsky.social this year.
If you haven’t already heard it, now is a good time to listen to her podcast with @amyhupe.bsky.social
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/s...
If you haven’t already heard it, now is a good time to listen to her podcast with @amyhupe.bsky.social
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/s...
The online Rail Clock by @matteason.me has become the online Rail Cock. railcock.matteason.co.uk
December 12, 2025 at 12:36 PM
The online Rail Clock by @matteason.me has become the online Rail Cock. railcock.matteason.co.uk
Reposted by Caroline Jarrett
How it started - How it's going...
I've only got a handful of calendars left now. Thank you to everyone who has bought one, every sale really is much appreciated.
Who would like to snap one these last few up?
juliaallum.co.uk/product/2026...
I've only got a handful of calendars left now. Thank you to everyone who has bought one, every sale really is much appreciated.
Who would like to snap one these last few up?
juliaallum.co.uk/product/2026...
December 7, 2025 at 12:12 PM
How it started - How it's going...
I've only got a handful of calendars left now. Thank you to everyone who has bought one, every sale really is much appreciated.
Who would like to snap one these last few up?
juliaallum.co.uk/product/2026...
I've only got a handful of calendars left now. Thank you to everyone who has bought one, every sale really is much appreciated.
Who would like to snap one these last few up?
juliaallum.co.uk/product/2026...
Last chance to snap up a hefty discount on ALL @rosenfeldmedia.com books and e-books.
If you’ve already got my book, thank you so much and have a look at the long list of other great options.
Ends midnight EST / 5am GMT / 6am CET
If you’ve already got my book, thank you so much and have a look at the long list of other great options.
Ends midnight EST / 5am GMT / 6am CET
🚨 Our Black Friday sale is still happening! 🚨
Through Friday, you can get 30% off paperbacks and 50% off ebooks at Rosenfeld! New releases, bestsellers, and old favorites...they're all on sale!
Shop the sale: rosenfeldmedia.com/books/
Through Friday, you can get 30% off paperbacks and 50% off ebooks at Rosenfeld! New releases, bestsellers, and old favorites...they're all on sale!
Shop the sale: rosenfeldmedia.com/books/
December 5, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Last chance to snap up a hefty discount on ALL @rosenfeldmedia.com books and e-books.
If you’ve already got my book, thank you so much and have a look at the long list of other great options.
Ends midnight EST / 5am GMT / 6am CET
If you’ve already got my book, thank you so much and have a look at the long list of other great options.
Ends midnight EST / 5am GMT / 6am CET
Today’s episode of #FixTheForms is a very exciting one: an example of a definite documented improvement.
In this case, the guidance notes for a complex form were missing their examples. @matteason.me reported the problem and has now discovered that the examples are fixed.
Thanks Matt.
In this case, the guidance notes for a complex form were missing their examples. @matteason.me reported the problem and has now discovered that the examples are fixed.
Thanks Matt.
Pleased to say this has now been fixed, 5 months after I reported it: www.gov.uk/government/p...
December 5, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Today’s episode of #FixTheForms is a very exciting one: an example of a definite documented improvement.
In this case, the guidance notes for a complex form were missing their examples. @matteason.me reported the problem and has now discovered that the examples are fixed.
Thanks Matt.
In this case, the guidance notes for a complex form were missing their examples. @matteason.me reported the problem and has now discovered that the examples are fixed.
Thanks Matt.
Contrast to experience in Skechers:
Us: do you have wide fitting men’s shoes in size 9 and a half?
Assistant: certainly
20mins later: husband has cheerfully forked out twice as much as he might have spent in Marks and Spencer
(Sorry I didn’t think to ask about narrow fitting).
Us: do you have wide fitting men’s shoes in size 9 and a half?
Assistant: certainly
20mins later: husband has cheerfully forked out twice as much as he might have spent in Marks and Spencer
(Sorry I didn’t think to ask about narrow fitting).
Infuriating experience in Marks and Spencer:
Me: where are the other wide fitting men’s shoes?
Assistant: I’m sorry, we only do wide fitting in formal shoes
Me: so people with wide feet are only allowed to be formal?
Assistant: <smiles weakly>
It’s not the assistant’s fault, of course.
Me: where are the other wide fitting men’s shoes?
Assistant: I’m sorry, we only do wide fitting in formal shoes
Me: so people with wide feet are only allowed to be formal?
Assistant: <smiles weakly>
It’s not the assistant’s fault, of course.
December 5, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Contrast to experience in Skechers:
Us: do you have wide fitting men’s shoes in size 9 and a half?
Assistant: certainly
20mins later: husband has cheerfully forked out twice as much as he might have spent in Marks and Spencer
(Sorry I didn’t think to ask about narrow fitting).
Us: do you have wide fitting men’s shoes in size 9 and a half?
Assistant: certainly
20mins later: husband has cheerfully forked out twice as much as he might have spent in Marks and Spencer
(Sorry I didn’t think to ask about narrow fitting).
Infuriating experience in Marks and Spencer:
Me: where are the other wide fitting men’s shoes?
Assistant: I’m sorry, we only do wide fitting in formal shoes
Me: so people with wide feet are only allowed to be formal?
Assistant: <smiles weakly>
It’s not the assistant’s fault, of course.
Me: where are the other wide fitting men’s shoes?
Assistant: I’m sorry, we only do wide fitting in formal shoes
Me: so people with wide feet are only allowed to be formal?
Assistant: <smiles weakly>
It’s not the assistant’s fault, of course.
December 5, 2025 at 11:22 AM
Infuriating experience in Marks and Spencer:
Me: where are the other wide fitting men’s shoes?
Assistant: I’m sorry, we only do wide fitting in formal shoes
Me: so people with wide feet are only allowed to be formal?
Assistant: <smiles weakly>
It’s not the assistant’s fault, of course.
Me: where are the other wide fitting men’s shoes?
Assistant: I’m sorry, we only do wide fitting in formal shoes
Me: so people with wide feet are only allowed to be formal?
Assistant: <smiles weakly>
It’s not the assistant’s fault, of course.
In today’s episode of #FixTheForms, @radiobeartime.com resorts to the Freedom of Information route to getting to grips with his pension
Fed up with wasting my own time trying to create an account on the terrible Capita Pensions site I have used the fast and excellent www.whatdotheyknow.com to send in an FoI request to the Cabinet Office asking for all pertinent documents re the Capita service
Make and browse Freedom of Information (FOI) requests
www.whatdotheyknow.com
December 4, 2025 at 1:30 PM
In today’s episode of #FixTheForms, @radiobeartime.com resorts to the Freedom of Information route to getting to grips with his pension
Reposted by Caroline Jarrett
🚨 Our Black Friday sale is still happening! 🚨
Through Friday, you can get 30% off paperbacks and 50% off ebooks at Rosenfeld! New releases, bestsellers, and old favorites...they're all on sale!
Shop the sale: rosenfeldmedia.com/books/
Through Friday, you can get 30% off paperbacks and 50% off ebooks at Rosenfeld! New releases, bestsellers, and old favorites...they're all on sale!
Shop the sale: rosenfeldmedia.com/books/
December 3, 2025 at 2:46 PM
🚨 Our Black Friday sale is still happening! 🚨
Through Friday, you can get 30% off paperbacks and 50% off ebooks at Rosenfeld! New releases, bestsellers, and old favorites...they're all on sale!
Shop the sale: rosenfeldmedia.com/books/
Through Friday, you can get 30% off paperbacks and 50% off ebooks at Rosenfeld! New releases, bestsellers, and old favorites...they're all on sale!
Shop the sale: rosenfeldmedia.com/books/
Absolutely delighted that Misha Glenny is the new host of In Our Time. We’ve really enjoyed his “how to invent a country” series.
Question: will the new series be as reliably soporific? “Feathered dinosaurs” has sent us to sleep at least 5 times so far.
www.bbc.com/mediacentre/...
Question: will the new series be as reliably soporific? “Feathered dinosaurs” has sent us to sleep at least 5 times so far.
www.bbc.com/mediacentre/...
December 3, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Absolutely delighted that Misha Glenny is the new host of In Our Time. We’ve really enjoyed his “how to invent a country” series.
Question: will the new series be as reliably soporific? “Feathered dinosaurs” has sent us to sleep at least 5 times so far.
www.bbc.com/mediacentre/...
Question: will the new series be as reliably soporific? “Feathered dinosaurs” has sent us to sleep at least 5 times so far.
www.bbc.com/mediacentre/...
There's still time to snag a hefty discount on all @rosenfeldmedia.com books and e-books - including mine
Especially if you happen to need to run a survey anytime soon.
Especially if you happen to need to run a survey anytime soon.
There’s a big sale on for a week @rosenfeldmedia.com, including on my book “Surveys That Work”
If you’ve wondered about buying it, here you go
rosenfeldmedia.com/books/survey...
If you’ve wondered about buying it, here you go
rosenfeldmedia.com/books/survey...
Surveys That Work By Caroline Jarrett
Design better surveys with Surveys That Work. A practical guide to reducing errors and getting accurate results through a seven-step process.
rosenfeldmedia.com
December 2, 2025 at 2:45 PM
There's still time to snag a hefty discount on all @rosenfeldmedia.com books and e-books - including mine
Especially if you happen to need to run a survey anytime soon.
Especially if you happen to need to run a survey anytime soon.
In today’s episode of #FixTheForms, @peterkwells.com accurately points out that errors happen in ALL systems, paper-based and digital
Pro tip: Moving a badly-designed form or process from paper to digital does not magically improve its design. You just create a badly-designed digital one
Pro tip: Moving a badly-designed form or process from paper to digital does not magically improve its design. You just create a badly-designed digital one
Not getting into the specifics of causes of English issues with accidental prisoner release, but this is very much the wrong way to think & talk about volume of errors between paper-based & digital systems
Both have humans, both have potential of human-based errors
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Both have humans, both have potential of human-based errors
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
December 2, 2025 at 10:14 AM
In today’s episode of #FixTheForms, @peterkwells.com accurately points out that errors happen in ALL systems, paper-based and digital
Pro tip: Moving a badly-designed form or process from paper to digital does not magically improve its design. You just create a badly-designed digital one
Pro tip: Moving a badly-designed form or process from paper to digital does not magically improve its design. You just create a badly-designed digital one
Today’s episode of #FixTheForms is an especially brilliant one from @xkcd.com that applies to all registration forms and all websites
xkcd.com/3175/
xkcd.com/3175/
Website Task Flowchart
xkcd.com
December 1, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Today’s episode of #FixTheForms is an especially brilliant one from @xkcd.com that applies to all registration forms and all websites
xkcd.com/3175/
xkcd.com/3175/