Simplicity is Not the Answer

Mark Ebel

GRCP 210                           Exploring Donald Norman #2

Simplicity Is Not the Answer http://jnd.org/dn.mss/simplicity_is_not_the_answer.html

 

  Donald Norman believes that everyone wants simplicity, but we don’t want to sacrifice the power and flexibility of technology. We want devices to perform many things, and to have many options, the more options, the more we desire to use them. But, features are not the same as capability, just as simplicity is not the same as usability. This is what leads to confusion and frustration. What people want is usable devices, and that means understandable ones. What we want is to turn what would appear to be a complicated tool into one that fits the task that is understandable, easy to use, and enjoyable.

  Modularization, mapping, and conceptual models are what lead to a good design. Modularization means taking an activity and dividing it into small, manageable modules. Mapping; Controls and displays should exploit natural mapping. Natural mapping takes advantage of physical analogies and cultural standards. For example; red means stop, green means go. Good mapping is essential to ensure that the relationship between actions and results are apparent.  Most important it provides an understandable model, so people understand what is to be done, what is happening, and what is to be expected, or next. Design, or emotional design, is critical to a person's enjoyment of a product. The key is to design knowing that things go wrong; thereby ensuring that people will understand what is happening, and that they will know what to do about it.

 I believe that products become more confusing with the addition of more options, and that good mapping makes a big difference to the success or failure of a product. We purchase items for the needs we have acquired, or grown accustom to.

  Price sometimes is no object. If a product performs to the person’s standards and another product does not, people are willing to pay extra for the usability and comfort of that product, and or service. We don’t want confusion or frustration we want convenient, user friendly products. It’s as simple as that.