Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Simplicity Is Not the Answer

jnd.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–18 of 18 posts

Re: Simplicity Is Not the Answer

#11

Post by flogic »

DrJokepu wrote: post #5
rokhayakebe wrote: post #4

If my cellphone only had one button it certainly would be simple, but, umm, all I could do would be to turn it on or off. Not really. It could be voice enabled. Press the key, Say New Number, Say Name, Say Digits, Say Save. Press the key, Say Call XYZ.

Actually my phone only has one button and it is still one of the most capable phones ever made. In fact, I'm writing this on my phone with a single button.

I'm impressed and unimpressed with the iPhone. There are a number of neat things in the touch interfaces. However the lack of menus is very limiting at times. Tertiary functionality is subsequently missing or obscure.

Re: Simplicity Is Not the Answer

#13

Post by sorbus »

DrJokepu wrote: post #5
rokhayakebe wrote: post #4

If my cellphone only had one button it certainly would be simple, but, umm, all I could do would be to turn it on or off. Not really. It could be voice enabled. Press the key, Say New Number, Say Name, Say Digits, Say Save. Press the key, Say Call XYZ.

Actually my phone only has one button and it is still one of the most capable phones ever made. In fact, I'm writing this on my phone with a single button.

Using morse code, perhaps? With only one button, there isn't really any other way to write (I presume that if you were using speech recognition, you would have said "saying" or "speaking," not "writing").

(Yes, I know that you meant you're using a touchscreen on an iPhone, or something similar. I'm trying to be vaguely humorous, and probably failing.)

(The 3GS, according to wikipedia, has 5 physical buttons and then the touchscreen. The iPhone 4, from the pictures I've seen, has at least 4, and the touchscreen. The fact that people entirely forget about them suggests that the design is extremely good, if people are using them without realizing it, or quite bad, if people aren't using them or realizing that they exist. I am inclined to lean towards the former.)

Re: Simplicity Is Not the Answer

#14

Post by chuckfouts »

This article is based on the premise that people correlate the number of features of a product to the simplicity of using the product. This isn't an accurate premise. A better description of the problem would be that features get added to products without much thought for how it integrates with usability. "The Design of Everyday Things" is a good book that addresses where and why design goes wrong. http://amzn.to/17Wew

Re: Simplicity Is Not the Answer

#15

Post by Wilduck »

I can't help but notice that the graph in this article seems to have an obvious equilibrium point. I think it best describes the issue. There is a balance between capability and usability that maximizes desireablity.

And, if you can shift the capability line to the up-left, or the usability line to the up-right, you end up with a more desirable product. It's all about doing more with fewer features.

Re: Simplicity Is Not the Answer

#16

Post by zb »

chuckfouts wrote: post #14

This article is based on the premise that people correlate the number of features of a product to the simplicity of using the product. This isn't an accurate premise. A better description of the problem would be that features get added to products without much thought for how it integrates with usability. "The Design of Everyday Things" is a good book that addresses where and why design goes wrong. http://amzn.to/17W…

I'm sorry, did you just say that Donald Norman doesn't know what he's talking about and then recommend that he go read his own book to find out why?

Re: Simplicity Is Not the Answer

#17

Post by chuckfouts »

zb wrote: post #16
chuckfouts wrote: post #14

This article is based on the premise that people correlate the number of features of a product to the simplicity of using the product. This isn't an accurate premise. A better description of the problem would be that features get added to products without much thought for how it integrates with usability. "The Design of Everyday Things" is a good book that addresses where and why design goes wrong. http://amzn.to/17W…

I'm sorry, did you just say that Donald Norman doesn't know what he's talking about and then recommend that he go read his own book to find out why?

No need to be sorry as you're absolutely correct.

Re: Simplicity Is Not the Answer

#18

Post by joshuacc »

chuckfouts wrote: post #14

This article is based on the premise that people correlate the number of features of a product to the simplicity of using the product. This isn't an accurate premise. A better description of the problem would be that features get added to products without much thought for how it integrates with usability. "The Design of Everyday Things" is a good book that addresses where and why design goes wrong. http://amzn.to/17W…

This article is by Don Norman, who also wrote the book you're recommending. Perhaps you didn't read the article closely enough?
Post reply on HN