blink design library

Field Tips

This is similar in concept to the dynamic help display shown here, but works even if there isn't blank page space adjacent to the fields. When the cursor is in a field, the field tip is displayed as a call-out to the right of the field.

From: Vox

This implementation could be improved by moving the field tip closer to the field, creating a tighter visual association.

Overall, this is an approach that works best for fields that users are likely to have "in focus" before making their entry. This is less likely for controls such as radio buttons, check boxes, and drop-down menus.

Dynamic Field Help

When the user's cursor in is a field, the related field help displays on the right. The appearance of caught my eye, bringing my attention to it (this type of text tends to be overlooked, which can lead to errors). This solution also eliminates the clutter of exposing all the field help on the form.

From: Multiply

Help Drawer

Under the possible selections, users can open a "help drawer" to find out more about the options. This is a nice alternative to the help pop-up because it's anchored to the context on the page.

Drawer Closed:

Drawer Open (on click):

From: Wetpaint