Why Infield Top-Aligned Labels Beat Floating Labels

Form field label alignment has evolved. It’s been five years since I first introduced infield top-aligned labels and its advantages over both top-aligned and infield labels. Many designers and developers have adopted them, but it seems many more have adopted its counterpart, floating labels.

This is unfortunate because infield top-aligned labels are far more usable and accessible than floating labels. The standard for label alignment should have a high level of usability and accessibility, or it’s not the best practice everyone should follow.