Optimising your survey’s layout

When designing satisfaction questionnaires, whether for employees, clients or customers, it's important to have more than just the right questions.

While asking the right questions in the right way is, of course, integral to the process, it's also vital that you make sure the design and layout of your questionnaire supports your aims.

The visual design and layout of a survey is one of the first things that will impact and influence a participant. Here are some top tips for optimising your survey's layout.

Keep the design simple

You don't want your survey's participants to be flummoxed by an overly complex and confusing layout.

Online surveys are extremely easy to abandon if a participant thinks they look too difficult – all the participant has to do is press the 'x' button – so it's best if they look simple and straightforward from the beginning.

Don't make it too long

Following on from the last point, keep questions concise so that the survey doesn't stretch on for miles and frustrate the participant. Only ask what you need an answer for in a straightforward way. Don't fluff your survey up with unnecessary questions that will only add to the length and drive participants away.

On this note, inform participants at the beginning of the survey how many pages it is and how long it's expected to take.

Go for a neutral colour palette

Some survey designers might want to opt for a certain colour scheme due to the nuances of their particular brand.

However, in most cases it's best to keep a survey's colour palette fairly neutral to maintain a professional tone.

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