Is the user attention required or not?

Question

We are developing 'Work Experience' module. You can see the screen as wireframe attached here.

Scenario:

1. The User entered information in 1st block.
2. After that, he clicked on '[+ Add Work Experience]' button to enable 2nd block 'Work Experience'(you can see in pic)
3. But he didn't enter anything like just empty(2nd block)

my question is-

When I clicked save button, should I show validation errors in 2nd block? or ignore the 2nd block and save 1st block only?

My thoughts on the user perspective, what is the use to show validation errors in 2nd block as it is empty. With this validations, the user again need to work or spend some time on either fill the fields or delete the 2nd block

My observations in a few applications:

Mobile: While creating new contact number in mobile, I added multiple fields like home, office, fax, email, email2 ...by clicking on the (+) button of each row. But I entered the number only in the office field. Finally, I tapped the Save button. It saved successfully. When I clicked to edit the number, whatever I clicked before like home, email,.. these are reverted.

Google Contacts: https://contacts.google.com/ I added multiple fields but entered a few fields and pressed save button. Without asking or showing any validation errors it is successfully saved.

The above examples are not mandatory fields. Here my screen has mandatory fields and kind of widgets and overall one save button.

Please share your thoughts and any example if you have seen anywhere. If I am thinking any wrong direction please let me know your suggestion

Answer 1

My viewpoint:

• Save button on the bottom. The flow should follow natural behaviour. The user will click on the save button after filling the form and then naturally the action should be there, after form. But if you not confident about this, please add both, on the top and on the bottom.

• You could create 2 stages of verification:

  1. If any data was filled on the second block of work experience you can show the error of empty field.
  2. If the second block was created but none was filled, ignore.

• A third option is to show an alert user close to the button that he clicked that he forgot to fill the second block of work experience. BUT I believe you don't need this because it's just another decision to the user and if they have to take too much decision, he leaves your website/app.

You must understand that the user that will apply for a role will not forget to fill any important information because this could lose his chances.

This video is perfect when you are looking for formulary interaction on mobile.

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EDITED:

While saving, why should not show validation errors in a new block? I can say the user must close the unwanted block first and then save.

It's a new task, a new decision and this is bad for conversion rate.

Imagine...

1. The user added 4 work experience block and filled them but accidentally he added a 5th block.
2. He scrolls to top to click on save button
3. We show validation errors on a piece of our page that are not showing OR we scroll to there and force him to delete the block. (Which other alternative whe have for this step?)

I consider this a bad experience because it's too much time and too much decisions and too much thoughts to do somthing that I also considering the inteligent code could do it for me.

Some questions to you thinking and if do you prefer you can answer as a comment:

• Why user really need to delete de add block if is empty? Empty is not the same of none?
• Why scroll page and take the user to the block and show validations error there if we can ask before conclude saving, without scroll, "You forgot to fill the 5th work experience block. [Ok, proceed] [Cancel and fill]"

Answer 2

I believe when the user clicks on the button save and the second block is empty, don't need validation because it's not a priority for the user the fields empty. If he clicks on the button accidentally he can finish the task and if he needed the second block and forgot, he can edit this information later.