The application form is an often neglected part of a website. Designed once when the site is first created, it is rarely touched again. But the process of filling out the form is the most crucial part of closing the sale; and is it is also the stage when you see the greatest exit numbers in conversion funnels. Unlike a face to face sale situation the user can click of your site at any moment.

Designing any form depends on the product, timing and place. Typically online people are trying to quickly fill out forms during work hours in their lunch break so the longer the form the less likely your potential customer is going to complete the sale. However recruitment sites that require lengthy answers always pre warn people how long it will take to complete.

So once you have created your form and have recorded an average conversion rate start testing to see how you can better your form. Every element of your form can be tested, the questions you ask

The way we present data inherently influences how it is consumed and interpreted. With the ability of data online to be generated in real time, the kind of animated graphs required are a far cry from the standard excel pie and line charts. But collaboration between software developers and designers have spawned new data visualizations that rival art.

DoodleBuzz is a great example of fusing interactive design with data collation. You simply type in your news theme or topic and draw a line, picture anything you like on the white canvas to begin the news feed. Whatever you draw then becomes the framework for the headlines, summaries and related topics. It is a new experimental interface and highlights how far you can push infographics on the online space. Check out more great data visualisations on infoaesthetics.