Validation errors prevent hook_form_alter from working

Hi folks,

This might seem irrelevant to this module so please bear with me.

I tried several approaches to hide the title of add node form (Create Article, for example), including the module exclude node title and implementing a hook_form_alter in the template file, and both methods work great if the form components are just fields. To be specific, if a field is set as required one and left blank by the user, the form/page reloads with the error message "the field is required" but the from title is still hidden. But if the field is a field collection, when set as required, the form title jumps out if is they are not filled out, which makes those approaches not working. In other words, a field that is just a field or a field collection makes difference. I would really appreciate it if your guys can give me some guidance on how to fix this.

Thank you!