What is the purpose of removing asterisks from form fields?

The purpose of removing asterisks from form fields is primarily to decrease user anxiety associated with mandatory fields. Asterisks are commonly used to indicate that certain fields are required, which can sometimes cause apprehension in users who may feel overwhelmed by the directive to fill everything out completely. By omitting these indicators, designers can foster a more user-friendly experience that feels less daunting, potentially improving overall engagement and completion rates with the form. This approach helps to create a more relaxed atmosphere, allowing users to focus on the fields they choose to fill out without feeling pressured by explicit demands for completion.

The other options, while related to form design, do not correctly capture the primary purpose of removing asterisks. For instance, making forms appear more modern or standardizing input length are not direct effects of this action, and increasing visual clutter is counterproductive to good design principles, which generally aim for clarity and simplicity.