Patterns
Ask users for…
Names
Use: DeployedUsage
When to use this pattern
- When you need to collect a person’s name. For example, for contact information or to complete an application.
Note: These fields are not on every form. Work with your stakeholders to determine what fields are necessary for your application.
Examples

How to design and build
How this pattern works
The fullNamePattern implements the following:
- First name and last name are required fields. Middle name and suffix fields are optional. Mother’s maiden name field is not on every form.
- Make sure name fields work for most veterans. Fields must be long enough to accommodate the names of your users. Do not restrict the types of characters users can enter in any of these fields. Names can include characters outside the standard Roman alphabet.
Content considerations
Error message templates for names
When a user doesn’t enter their first name
Say ‘Please enter a first name’
When a user doesn’t enter their last name
Say ‘Please enter a last name’