Simplicity Is Highly Overrated
My thought for the day is from this essay by Don Norman.
Logic and reason, I have to keep explaining, are wonderful virtues, but they are irrelevant in describing human behavior. Trying to prove a point through intelligent, reasonable argumentation is what I call the “engineer’s fallacy.” (Also, the economist’s fallacy.”) We have to design for the way people really behave, not as engineers or economists would prefer them to behave.
As designers who favor restraint and minimalism, Norman’s thesis is frustrating: people say they want simplicity, but in practice they really don’t.
But I think he has a good point. When most of us see less, our instinct is to think we’re getting less; fewer features and less control. And paying more to (apparently) get less is bound to set off our BS detectors. Confronted between two options, we’re bound to go with the more complex choice because of perceived value.
Norman isn’t suggesting we give up on simplicity, but today he reminded me that while achieving it isn’t easy, selling it is even harder.
| Tagged with: | Design, Donald Norman, Minimalism, Simplicity, Usability |
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