As you add more and more fields to a page layout, it’s important to consider structure and UX.
For example, it’s generally not a good idea to have 25 fields in a single section on the page, especially when there are 20 fields in the 1st column, and 5 fields in the 2nd.
My general rule is to try to have each section hold no more than 12 fields: 6 in the 1st column and 6 in the 2nd. If you need more fields, just create another section.
Each section contains related information. On a contact record, this means something like:
- General Information
- Contact Information
- Address Information
- System Information
Note that the header for “System Information” is always displayed, and contains Created By and Last Modified By.
For text areas, long text, or rich text, you can create a section with a single column and without a visible header.
I’m generally not a fan of adding the blank space field when you already have an equal number of fields in each column.
The takeaway
Reducing the fields in each section reduces cognitive load, which is a key consideration for good UX.