Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
Would a better term be "elegant"? "Elegance is the attribute of being unusually effective and simple...Some westerners associate elegance with simplicity and consistency of design, focusing on the main or basic features of an object, its dignified gracefulness, or restrained beauty of style." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elegance Also, if you asked a kindergartner what's the difference between yellow and maize, my guess is they would tell you that one is a color and another is something you get lost in, (e.g.,maze). : ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=35089 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
I concur. simplicity is an ideal in design. as is transparency (honesty) and consistency (not break too much rules "just because") . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=35089 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
This topic reminds me a case I just met. Days ago I attended UPA conference and live in a hotel nearby. The remote of TV was full of features but lack of simplicity. To me simplicity is how to make device easy to use, while users' need could be all satisfied. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=35089 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
that 2nd quote is right on oleh :) Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
Two memes relevant to this discussion: 1. "Clarity is better than brevity" by Jef Raskin [or simplicity - OK] 2. Tesler's law of Conservation of Complexity: "One cannot reduce the complexity of a task. One can only shift the burden." ( http://www.asktog.com/columns/011complexity.html) -- Oleh Kovalchuke Interaction Design is design of time http://www.tangospring.com/IxDtopicWhatIsInteractionDesign.htm Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
Complex and complcated are complete different thing. Complex- the essence or nature of a thing Complicated: the subjective experience (qualia) of a thing. will evans emotive architect & hedonic designer [EMAIL PROTECTED] 617.281.1281 twitter: semanticwill aim: semanticwill gtalk: wkevans4 skype: semanticwill _ Sent via iPhone On Oct 31, 2008, at 11:54 AM, AJKock <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: The hair: complex vs complicated This might imply: you are in control vs the program/device is in control There are subtle differences between word usage and their meaning. You will call something complicated if you can't manage it (which implies that it doesn't have to be complex to be complicated). You will call something complex if you are managing a intricate program/device which can do/handle a lot of things. I am starting to sound very socialist with product alienation, but it might just be that our vocabulary differ if we feel empowered or when we feel alienated from a product. And thats me running off in a completely different direction again... Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
The hair: complex vs complicated This might imply: you are in control vs the program/device is in control There are subtle differences between word usage and their meaning. You will call something complicated if you can't manage it (which implies that it doesn't have to be complex to be complicated). You will call something complex if you are managing a intricate program/device which can do/handle a lot of things. I am starting to sound very socialist with product alienation, but it might just be that our vocabulary differ if we feel empowered or when we feel alienated from a product. And thats me running off in a completely different direction again... Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
what's the difference between yellow and maize. You can't eat yellow. ;-) Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
y. :-) MT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=35089 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
Rob & Andy this is a key point (redistribution of complexity - does this make us all socialists?). It is a key problem for us in dealing with stakeholders. Biz folks see a simpler GUI, and think it should be cheaper, but in fact is much more of an investment to do this type of redistribution. I have found myself in the past ill-prepared for the conversations that ensue between dev and biz as have been working on projects of simplifying GUI interactions in the past. It is really important for biz folks to be given visibility into the back-end workings so they really understand how complicated it is. (BTW, I don't get the difference between complex and complicated. If there is every splitting hairs, that feels like one. Its like saying to a kindergarten student, what's the difference between yellow and maize.) -- dave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=35089 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
Andy - That's spot on - complexity is an objective quality of the system. Like the example of going from a manual to an automatic transmission - the transmission is not getting simpler (it's actually more complicated), but because of where the complexity is distributed, the interaction is easier for the driver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=35089 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
DeBono's version of Simplicity is useful here. In his book on the subject (which, IMHO is the best one he's written) he compares complexity to energy. You can't remove it, you can only shunt it around to different places. Sometimes that means pushing it onto the computer to do some complexity crunching, sometimes onto the developers and designers who have to spend time and effort to work things out so that they can be simpler for the end user. Sometimes the end user gets a good dose of it, depending on the circumstances and abilities of the end user (for example, a router than can only be set up via the command line). Whatever you do - the complexity existing in the system remains, it just gets moved around and hidden (sometimes). What Dave is getting at here is that design isn't so much about simplicity as it is about clarity. Simplicity is a lack of complexity. It is easy to make the simple clear. It is difficult to bring clarity to the complex. Design isn’t about making the complex simple—it is making the complex understandable. Best, Andy Andy Polaine Research | Writing | Strategy Interaction Concept Design Education Futures Twitter: apolaine Skype: apolaine http://playpen.polaine.com http://www.designersreviewofbooks.com http://www.omnium.net.au http://www.antirom.com Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
Simplicity is not opposed to complexity. Is opposed to complicatedness. -- Santiago Bustelo // icograma Buenos Aires, Argentina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=35089 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
What Dave is getting at here is that design isn't so much about simplicity as it is about clarity. Simplicity is a lack of complexity. It is easy to make the simple clear. It is difficult to bring clarity to the complex. Design isn’t about making the complex simple—it is making the complex understandable. Best, Jack On Oct 31, 2008, at 1:01 AM, David Malouf wrote: The problem with the word simple is that its opposite is really complex, but we aren't in the game of removing complexity and in fact the ways we achieve good designs are actually through really complex methods. Jack L. Moffett Interaction Designer inmedius 412.459.0310 x219 http://www.inmedius.com Charles Eames was asked the question, "What are the boundaries of design?" He answered, "What are the boundaries of problems?" - Charles Eames Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
To address semantic differences I suggest defining "Simplicity" and "Complexity" with respect to objective, technical aspects of the product or interface. For example, the number of features, options, controls, etc. THEN, use the term "Clarity" when describing the quality of interacting with the product or interface (ease of use, learnability, efficiency). Two different interfaces may be comparably complex (or simple), but have different levels of clarity. I use the Apple iPhone and the BMW iDrive as two interfaces with approximately equal complexity (functional capabilities), but significant disparity in clarity. You can think of clarity as the ease of interacting with complexity - http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/bnp/ad0908/#/22 or http://tinyurl.com/5af5ha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=35089 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
Simple and yes even simplicity is right up there with intuitive on words to describe the quality of something that lead to long drawn out threads without a lot of practical gibblets in there. Why? B/c both terms are about mental models. What is "simple" is a personal reaction to the system one is working on. For some a CLI is very simple and powerful at the same time. I.e. Ubiquity is great. The problem with the word simple is that its opposite is really complex, but we aren't in the game of removing complexity and in fact the ways we achieve good designs are actually through really complex methods. I see Maeda's book as less a call to simple design ala "minimalism" as someone pointed out, but really a call to designers to just think more deeply about the designs they put out there. We all have a tendency to put our egos in our designs, and this often leads to "too much" which CAN lead to confusion. But a great designer does tear away at their designs. But again, I think it is a mistake to say that simple is a goal. Whenever this comes up with my clients, I often counter them with, "but the processes we are interfacing with are quite complex". In my current application this has meant reducing the GUI, but adding guidance, and at that only in certain areas. There are some tasks whose business processes are so complex that if you are engaged in them, then reduction would cause so much inefficiency that the software would be getting in the way. On the remote side of things. Yes a single button can have multiple purposes, but as Jef Raskin (RIP) has so cleanly explained, mode changes based on context are complex mental structures that many users struggle with. I think that Jef's world is not the world of 8 years from now, as mode shifting is becoming 2nd nature to so many and is really the great advantage of computational digital interfaces, but I do believe for now, on a mainstream consumer device, putting too many modal interfaces is not a great idea. A tangential thought. In graphic design, reduction often translates to increasing white space, instead of using graphical elements. In IxD whe don't talk about our version of negative space very often, if ever. How do we reduce interactions themselves for the sake of achieving better interactions without loss of any meaning, efficiency, etc. for the purpose of a greater aesthetic whole -- hopefully even improvement). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=35089 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
I see alot of good responds. I myself believe that IF reducing features can make a thing more userfriendly, then that should be done right away. It all depends on the context. My DVD remote control has the following buttons- eject/switch off (same button) standby/switch on (same button) a clear button (dont know why its there) subtitle Audio Angle Mute Random programme Display previous Next Revind Forward Pause/step Stop Slow intro Mark title a-b menu/PBC setup repeat ENTER surrounded by arrow up, arrow down, arrow left and arrow right volume up volume down zoom play 1, 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0,10 GOTO Thats 45 buttons in total. I know that people have different needs but I bought my dvd player at a local electronic shop, and only need the following button- eject/switch off (same button) standby/switch on (same button) subtitle Mute previous Next Revind Forward Pause Stop setup (maybe dont know whether I really do need that one) ENTER surrounded by arrow up, arrow down, arrow left and arrow right volume up volume down play Thats 19 buttons only. This means that 26 buttons could be removed. I asked my entire family to look at the remote control and give me their opinion. They said that only 14 buttons `could be used` but they only used 9 of them. They also stated that just looking at the remote control confused them and they had to look at the remote control several times before pressing a button in order to ensure that the wrong button wasnt pressed. Here a REDUCTION would have helped. We have to keep in mind that we as interaction designers know the difference between simplicity/complexity etc. But the average user (my family in this case) relates simplicity with reduction. Therefore devices that are intended to be used by `average people` should contain few features that can do the work. A remote control for a dvd player, which is being sold at a local electric shop should not have buttons and features that confuses people and reminds them of a mainframe system at NASA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=35089 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
I think this paragraph might have slipped the "not" "So simplicity is [not] always about loss of features, it is about creating tools that fit the task. If that means more tools, that is fine." If it was intended to be without the "not", the comma after features should have been a semi-colon, if my grammer is correct. If the intention was a comma, then "not" before "always" would make more sense? Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
Simplicity gets confused with minimalism too often. The simplest interface is the one you don't notice, but that doesn't mean it can't be complex. Best, Andy Andy Polaine Research | Writing | Strategy Interaction Concept Design Education Futures Twitter: apolaine Skype: apolaine http://playpen.polaine.com http://www.designersreviewofbooks.com http://www.omnium.net.au http://www.antirom.com Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
I think simplicity is a way for users to handle it easily.But,I hold the opinion that simplicity doesn't mean less features.It just let users do what they wanna do in a simple way. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=35089 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
On Oct 30, 2008, at 4:32 PM, mark schraad wrote: Guiding principles such as John's are often too simplistic (pun unintended but acknowledged). There are nearly always compromises with simplicity. I find that construction of a solution, followed by removal of its elements... until it breaks - to be a pretty effective exercise. No offense, but this statement sounds contrarian for the sake of being contrarian. Maeda's Laws of Simplicity are: 01. Reduce: The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction 02. Organize: Organization makes a system of many appear fewer 03. Time: Savings in time feel like simplicity 04. Knowledge: Knowledge makes everything simpler 05. Differences: Simplicity and complexity need each other 06. Context: What lies in the periphery of simplicity is definitely not peripheral 07. Emotions: More emotions are better than less 08. Trust: In simplicity we trust 09. Failure: Some things can never be made simple 10. The One: Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful Maeda's book is not attempting to define simplicity as a means of measurement or as a recipe. It attempts to describe qualities about things that we feel are simple, and explain why that is. Note that even Maeda says some things can never be made simple in Law #9. In that regard, Maeda's book is fairly spot on with regards to discussing what it takes to achieve simplicity, regardless of the actual measure you need to use to determine if you have been successful. In that regard, it's a fairly significant book that everyone should read, imho. -- Andrei Herasimchuk Principal, Involution Studios innovating the digital world e. [EMAIL PROTECTED] c. +1 408 306 6422 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
Disagree 100%. SImplicity does not = less features or reduction of features It means a simple control for the same or possibly more features. Having less buttons on a remote does not necessarily mean you can do less with it, if we take that analogy. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
Simplicity and Less Power do NOT go hand in hand. It all depends on the system in question. Currently, I'm working on a CMS for the Army. One of the things that will make this system work is selectively removing menu items from people who don't need them. Primarily for major sections, but also inside pages. An example of the first is that Journalists don't need to access the Page Management system. An example of the latter is: A page manager who just manages one page, need not be bothered with the selection apparatus for selecting between multiple pages. So, each user will get exactly what they need and nothing more. And the control of this is also spread out around the system, so the manager of a news team can give a journalist on that team editing privileges, meanwhile, an admin higher up gave that manager those privileges. Additionally, a lot of the simplicity of the system will be created through the complexity of the filtering and prediction systems, along with a robust passive and active rating system. "No matter how wonderful your interface is, the user wants less of it." A system as wide-spread as the one we are re-envisioning would be impossible to create any other way. The user would be overwhelmed with choices they don't need to be bothered with. And the problem with many CMSs is they bother people with those choices, or at the least, they form a culture where having the permissions to do those things is desired. So simplicity is always about loss of features, it is about creating tools that fit the task. If that means more tools, that is fine. Imagine great software like a toolbox. It should have a hammer, a screw driver or two, a ruler, a saw. That'll get most people over 90% of the humps they will face. If they need to patch drywall, it is as easy as going to the local hardware store and learning how. So then there is another tool in the box. Some people will end up with all sorts of power tools and specialized devices. But most people are happy with that little tool box and never need any more. The whole point of having an OS is that you can have many little tools to do all the big jobs, and they should be able to be used in concert in a way that makes sense. Sometimes it works to pack the tools together into one App... most of the time it doesn't and you end up with MS word. Many applications grow far beyond their scope, or at least make the mistake of thinking that their software needs to be all bundled together to be viable. Maybe that makes money, but being able to add to the toolbox when you need a tool to do a job probably makes more sense in the long run. Will . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=35089 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
Guiding principles such as John's are often too simplistic (pun unintended but acknowledged). There are nearly always compromises with simplicity. I find that construction of a solution, followed by removal of its elements... until it breaks - to be a pretty effective exercise. Mark On Oct 30, 2008, at 3:57 PM, ali at amroha.dk wrote: I recently read John Maeda's book 'The Laws of Simplicity' and also visit his website http://lawsofsimplicity.com/ The Laws of Simplicity is a book written in the same style Don Norman wrote 'The Design of Future Things'. Few days back I came across the following link http://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/simplicity_is_not_th.html wherein my Guru states that Simplicity is NOT The answer. My Guru states that 'I conclude that the entire argument between features and simplicity is misguided. People might very well desire more capability and ease of use, but do not equate this to more features or to simplicity. What people want is usable devices, which translates into understandable ones.' John Maeda states in his book 'The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction'. I was looking at my several remote controls and VHS and DVD players... Even though these devises had understandable buttons and features, my mind would still regard fewer buttons as a more userfriendly and easy to use product. For me Maeda's statement makes sense hence I am with John on this one. If you disagree please comment. Reply to this thread at ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=35089 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
See also: John Maeda's Laws of Simplicity http://www.ixda.org/discuss.php?post=11485 Simplicity is Not Understood http://www.ixda.org/discuss.php?post=13717 Complexity vs Simplicity http://www.ixda.org/discuss.php?post=12957 Simplicity (misinformation) http://www.ixda.org/discuss.php?post=15775 Simplicity (again) http://www.ixda.org/discuss.php?post=15757 // jeff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=35089 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
I think it's important to make a distinction between simplicity and 'less features'. John Maeda's statement regarding 'thoughtful reduction' should not be translated as 'less features' or even 'less capability'. Removing functionality and capability is one way to achieve simplicity, but it is not the only one; the challenge of the designer is to achieve simplicity through other means. Steve 2008/10/31 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > I recently read John Maeda`s book `The Laws of Simplicity` and also visit > his website http://lawsofsimplicity.com/ > The Laws of Simplicity is a book written in the same style Don Norman > wrote `The Design of Future Things`. > Few days back I came across the following link > http://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/simplicity_is_not_th.html wherein my Guru states > that Simplicity is NOT The answer. > My Guru states that `I conclude that the entire argument between features > and simplicity is misguided. People might very well desire more capability > and ease of use, but do not equate this to more features or to simplicity. > What people want is usable devices, which translates into understandable > ones.` > John Maeda states in his book `The simplest way to achieve simplicity is > through thoughtful reduction`. > > I was looking at my several remote controls and VHS and DVD players... > Even though these devises had understandable buttons and features, my mind > would still regard fewer buttons as a more userfriendly and easy to use > product. > For me Maeda`s statement makes sense hence I am with John on this one. > > If you disagree please comment. > > > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help > -- Steve 'Doc' Baty | Principal Consultant | Meld Consulting | P: +61 417 061 292 | E: [EMAIL PROTECTED] | Twitter: docbaty Blog: http://docholdsfourth.blogspot.com Contributor - UXMatters - www.uxmatters.com Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] Is simplicity the answer? I am with John Maeda on this one.
I recently read John Maeda`s book `The Laws of Simplicity` and also visit his website http://lawsofsimplicity.com/ The Laws of Simplicity is a book written in the same style Don Norman wrote `The Design of Future Things`. Few days back I came across the following link http://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/simplicity_is_not_th.html wherein my Guru states that Simplicity is NOT The answer. My Guru states that `I conclude that the entire argument between features and simplicity is misguided. People might very well desire more capability and ease of use, but do not equate this to more features or to simplicity. What people want is usable devices, which translates into understandable ones.` John Maeda states in his book `The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction`. I was looking at my several remote controls and VHS and DVD players... Even though these devises had understandable buttons and features, my mind would still regard fewer buttons as a more userfriendly and easy to use product. For me Maeda`s statement makes sense hence I am with John on this one. If you disagree please comment. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
