Creating and Implementing eForms Using Gravity Forms Anthony Silecchia, Assistant Registrar, EWU

Topics We Will Cover What is Gravity Forms? Using Gravity Forms Things to Consider Lessons Learned Questions?

What is Gravity Forms? A WordPress plugin for creating web forms A WordPress website and a highly technical subject matter expert (SME) is required The cost to our university is $199 for the initial purchase and an annual $99 renewal fee Various add-ons included (and some EWU has developed) Other similar web form solutions exist such as Ninja Forms, Formidable, and WPForms

Using Gravity Forms Start at your website’s admin page Add a new form and name it Choose and customize fields (save) Edit form settings Set up confirmation, notifications, and workflow Create a web page and embed form in page Create an “inbox” page if using workflow Make page visible and add to site menu (or use hyperlink)

Things to Consider Which forms will you create first? Will you keep the paper form? How will you monitor in-progress forms? How will you store completed forms? Security considerations How will you verify the identity of the submitter? Who will you give access to and what role will they have? Is there information you will not collect?

Lessons Learned Work closely with those who use your forms Have a communication plan to notify others of the availability of online forms Consider breaking forms down into smaller requests Basic business process mapping is a helpful tool for designing workflows Test as many variations as you can think of Add policy information and important links to the page in which the form is embedded

Lessons Learned (continued) Electronic conversion of forms often leads to a review of the process which takes extra time Use the opportunity to cut out unnecessary items Web forms are great for surveys and inter-departmental processes Additional tips specific to Gravity Forms (use of reminders, multiple approvers on same step, use of hidden fields with default values for email addresses of a department, section breaks)

Questions? Anthony Silecchia Assistant Registrar Eastern Washington University asilecchia@ewu.edu 509-359-6586