forms - Is this rotating cube interface user-friendly?

I'm working on a prototype for an innovative form interface, where different parts of the form are shown on different sides of a cube. The cube rotates, and the user can fill it out as the cube spins. Here is a working example:

To me, it seems like a pretty robust solution to our problem (i.e., before, our forms took up too much space on the page and were extremely boring), and it feels pretty usable to me, but this approach may have some user-experience problems I don't know about.

Does this seem like a user-friendly model? If not, what can I do to improve it?

Answer

I filled in the form with some mainly dummy data (see below) as I know you said this was just a working example. My only real concern with this whole design is that the input fields do not accept input unless that face of the cube is actually visible. I think that would be annoying for most users to be typing into an input field they cannot see and then discover that when that face comes round again that that field has lost all the stuff you typed.

Luke Wroblewski has some great info on his site with respect to signup forms and it's worth taking a look in order to fine tune the layout. I noticed the street address details were all on one line, and I'd suggest splitting up at least into street and zipcode or postcode, with another optional field for more complex addresses. Check this article on UXMatters for dealing with international addresses in forms.

I'd consider whether you really need to get the social security number at first sign up. If it's definitely required, then I'd suggest giving some inline help as to why it's needed as some users can be a bit funny about that sort of detail. If possible consider obtaining information via gradual engagement.

I'd probably choose a less vivid green, as it's a bit offputting, and change the red text to a different colour. You can use the Colorblind Web Page Filter in order to see how it looks to colour blind users. Don't be afraid to use more colours - but not too many! Smashing Magazine have a 3 part article on colour theory.

I think the whole concept has a lot going for it and once the main UX issues have been ironed out it's going to look pretty slick. I think users will love the novelty of it. Sign up forms are so dull these days. This article on A List Apart about why sign up forms must die (again by Luke Wroblewski) is spot on. I think this example might just bang the final nail in the coffin of sign-ups, so good luck with it!