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Secrets of simplicity

Giles Colborne
cxpartners



    @gilescolborne
                        http://www.flickr.com/photos/jordoncooper/2854553375/
Why simplicity?


@gilescolborne
Many people have
the Suspicion that
technology is out
to get us.

Making technology
simpler seems like
an obvious way to
save ourselves.




   @gilescolborne
                     http://www.flickr.com/photos/24017046@N05/2415666205/
Ten years ago, this
                 was the standard
                 for how we ought
                 to access the
                 internet.


@gilescolborne
Today, a simpler
                 alternative
                 dominates the web.


@gilescolborne
The first iteration
                 of zune was poorly
                 received.



@gilescolborne
Zune 1.0 vs Zune 2.0



                                        The second
                                        iteration had fewer
                                        features...

                                    ...And got better
                                    reviews.

@gilescolborne
there are 113 links
on a page when all
I want to know is
‘will it rain in
Ithaca?’

this seems over-      113
complicated.
  @gilescolborne
...especially when
                 you compare it to
                 desktop widgets
                 like this, which tell
                 you the weather
                 without the
                 clutter.


@gilescolborne
my Swiss army
knife, has all these
features which are
supposed to be
useful. But I hardly
ever use it...




  @gilescolborne
                       http://www.flickr.com/photos/captainammonite/3316277831/
...Instead, I’m more
                  likely to pick up a
                 screwdriver to open a
                 Can of paint, stir the
                 paint, gouge a hole in
                 something, reach a coin
                 that’s stuck behind the
                 fridge... or even tighten
                 a screw.




@gilescolborne
                             http://www.flickr.com/photos/-po/302360126/
People are
    crying out for less

@gilescolborne
One reason we’re
drawn to what’s
‘simple’ is that
we’re trying to get
stuff done faster.




   @gilescolborne
                      http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwarby/3296379139/
We’re also trying
                 to fit more in.

                 Multi-tasking is
                 easier when you
                 keep the tasks
                 simple.




@gilescolborne
                  http://www.flickr.com/photos/peninah/2468918040/
No one wants to
read the manual.

We want something
simple we can pick
up and use right
away.




   @gilescolborne
                     http://www.flickr.com/photos/e-coli/419976117/
And we’re using
                 technology in
                 safety critical
                 environments.

                 complexity can be a
                 fatal distraction.

@gilescolborne
                     http://www.flickr.com/photos/cl191/2965160625/
We used to go to
                 these guys when we
                 wanted to get our
                 hands on
                 technology...




@gilescolborne
...Nowadays, we’re
                 buying and using
                 technology as
                 consumers.

                 So we expect
                 simple, usable
                 consumer devices.




@gilescolborne
                   http://www.flickr.com/photos/pingping/61487601/
Simplicity has
                 become a goal of
                 our culture.

                  Alain de Botton
                 points out that
                 cultures are drawn
                 to create the
                 things that are
                 missing from their
                 age and
                 environment.




@gilescolborne
So the 18th century
                 was a time of
                 revolution, social
                 upheaval and
                 disruption to the
                 old order...




@gilescolborne
...And the
                 architecture of
                 that period turned
                 to ancient values
                 and classical
                 order.



@gilescolborne
                 http://www.flickr.com/photos/merry_meet/3468018982/
Fast forward a
                 hundred years to
                 the industrial
                 revolution.

                 people were
                 reduced to
                 components in
                 factories...




@gilescolborne
...Yet the Victorians
                 aspired to rustic
                 architecture and
                 the medieval
                 artisanship of the
                 Arts and Crafts
                 movement.




@gilescolborne
SO to our age of
                 confusing moral
                 relativism and
                 globalisation.

                 your life can be
                 disrupted instantly
                 at any time by a
                 stranger on the
                 other side of the
                 world...




@gilescolborne
And in our
                 confusing world
                 we aspire to that
                 which is minimalist,
                 pared down and
                 simple.




@gilescolborne
                  http://www.flickr.com/photos/hubmedia/2374756836/
Less is more
Mies Van Der Rohe




  So for practical,
  emotional and
  cultural reasons
  we crave simplicity.

  For people working
  in usability, it can
 seem like usability
 and simplicity are
 identical.




    @gilescolborne
Simplicity
is not the answer
Donald Norman




 Unfortunately, for
 people looking for
 a panacea,
 simplicity isn’t the
 answer to all your
 usability problems.




    @gilescolborne
Usability
                                     What consider to
                                     be usable varies
                                     depending on the
                                     context.

                                    the ISO definition
                                    of usability is
                                    efficiency,
                                    effectiveness
                                    and satisfaction




      Efficiency   Effectiveness   Satisfaction
                     ISO 9241-11

@gilescolborne
Business system Old    school business
                                      systems tend to be
                                      imposed on users.

                                  Businesses want
                                  accountancy systems
                                  to be effective and
                                  efficient. user
                                  Satisfaction is nice
                                  but not top priority.




      Efficiency      Effectiveness      Satisfaction


@gilescolborne
Many Call centres
                   Call centre     are focussed on
                                   efficiency.

                                   Their primary
                                   measure of
                                   usability is: how
                                   many calls can an
                                   operator get
                                   through in an
                                   hour?




      Efficiency   Effectiveness    Satisfaction


@gilescolborne
Consumer web site
Consumer web sites
need to be
effective and
Satisfying to use.
But consumers are
poor at judging
efficiency.




         Efficiency     Effectiveness     Satisfaction


   @gilescolborne
Simplicity

                                   If you’re designing
                                   something simple
                                   for consumers,
                                   you have to hit high
                                   scores all three
                                   criteria. Ouch.




      Efficiency   Effectiveness    Satisfaction


@gilescolborne
Simplicity ≠ Usability
                 So simplicity is not
                 the same as
                 usability. It’s just
                 one case, and it
                 may not always be
                 the right strategy.



@gilescolborne
But simplicity still
                 matters.

                 Mobile is a good
                 example of an area
                 where simplicity is
                 Crucial.




@gilescolborne
Simplicity
is not the answer
  necessarily
Donald Norman




  So it’s not the
  only route to
  usability.

 But people want
 and often need
 simplicity.




    @gilescolborne
If you want to
                 design simple
                 things you’ll find
                 yourself directed
                 to this book.

                 It’s good. But the
                 advice inside is not
                 very clear.




@gilescolborne
oe try
                 P
                           It’s not laws, it’s
                           poetry. It works
                           best if you let it
                           wash over you.

                           we need some Solid
                           laws and clear
                           strategies for
                           simplicity.




@gilescolborne
I don’t want to
                 hope that the hand
                 of god touches my
                 work.

                 I want to know
                 that I can make
                 something simpler.




@gilescolborne
Here’s an exercise
                 we try with new
                 recruits.

                 We take something
                 that seems
                 unnecessarily
                 complex and ask
                 them to...




@gilescolborne
                    http://www.flickr.com/photos/redjar/136216608/
Simplify this!


@gilescolborne
Play
Pause
Stop
Rewind to beginning
Forward to end
Rewind
Slow rewind
Frame by frame rewind
Fast forward
Slow forward
Frame by frame forward

Cursor up / down / left / right
Enter
Return / back
Menu (show the on-disc navigation screen or audio disc tracks)
Top menu (show the on-disc navigation screen)
Display (show options for this DVD)




                                                                 Eject
                                                                 TV on / off
                                                                 DVD on /off

                                                                 Numerical keypad
                                                                 Clear

                                                                 Time / Text
                                                                 Repeat (change repeat play settings)
                                                                 Picture navi (search by scene)
                                                                 Audio mode (language / audio format)
                                                                 Subtitles
                                                                 Camera angle
                                                                 Virtual surround sound

                                                                 Picture mode

           @gilescolborne                                        Volume + / -
Play
Pause
Stop
Rewind to beginning
Forward to end
Rewind
Slow rewind
Frame by frame rewind
Fast forward
Slow forward
Frame by frame forward

Cursor up / down / left / right
Enter
Return / back
Menu (show the on-disc navigation screen or audio disc tracks)
Top menu (show the on-disc navigation screen)
Display (show options for this DVD)




                                                                 Eject
     So how would you                                            TV on / off
                                                                 DVD on /off
     make a DVD remote                                           Numerical keypad
     control simpler?                                            Clear

                                                                 Time / Text
                                                                 Repeat (change repeat play settings)
     Stop the                                                    Picture navi (search by scene)
                   UP




                                                                 Audio mode (language / audio format)
     presentation and                                            Subtitles
                     A




                                                                 Camera angle
     try it now.                                                 Virtual surround sound

                                                                 Picture mode

           @gilescolborne                                        Volume + / -
I’ve seen some
                 wonderful, creative
                 solutions to this
                 problem.

                 They fall into four
                 categories...




   The four solutions


@gilescolborne
1. Remove features

Get rid of some of
those buttons that
you never seem to
use.




   @gilescolborne
2. Hide features

Put some of the
features behind a
hatch where they
won’t get in the
way all the time.




                    OP
                    EN




   @gilescolborne
3. Group features

Move the important
stuff so that it’s
easier to find and
put everything in
logical groups.




   @gilescolborne
4. Displace features

                 For instance, Move
                 the features to an
                 on-screen menu on
                 the TV set.


@gilescolborne
                     http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckelly/185726479/
Sometimes people
think instructions
will make things
easier.

 Adding more
instructions
doesn’t improve
simplicity. it just
gives everyone an
excuse to stop
trying to improve
things.




    @gilescolborne
1. Remove features
    2. Group features
    3. Hide features
    4. Displace features

@gilescolborne
It’s not a great
answer for our DVD
remote. If you
remove a feature,
someone will care.

And you create
problems for
yourself
elsewhere...




    @gilescolborne
...you have to make
sure you market
this ‘basic’ DVD
player so
customers know
what they’re
buying.

 And you have to
 have a customer
support programme
for all those
people who didn’t
realise that one
day, they’d need
the subtitles
button.


    @gilescolborne
removing features
Can also make
things feel more
complex.

This is the elevator
in the Tokyo apple
store. You can’t
choose where to
go. It just
shuttles from
floor to floor.




    @gilescolborne
                       http://www.flickr.com/photos/nrvica/22840347/
Logic says ‘this is a
simpler design’.

But people who’ve
used it say it FEELS
complex. They don’t
like to be out of
control...




    @gilescolborne
                        http://www.flickr.com/photos/nrvica/22840347/
...Just like people
who use wizards
don’t like the
feeling of being on
a conveyor belt
with no real
control.




   @gilescolborne
‘Choose your own
adventure’ gives
the same limited
control.

But we understand
it because it has a
story to hold it
all together.




    @gilescolborne
Wizards Hide the
story of what’s
really going on
from the user.

They make it hard
for the user to
build a mental
model. the user
never progresses
past the Novice
stage.




    @gilescolborne
Simplicity
is not the answer
Donald Norman




                     Told you so

Getting rid of
features is hard.
And it doesn’t
always work as
well as we’d hope.



    @gilescolborne
Perfection is achieved
not when there is nothing
more to add
but when there is
nothing more to take away
Antoine de Saint Exupery


  But it’s an
  attractive
  solution. And it
  can work. The
  question is - how
  do you know what
  to take away?


     @gilescolborne
Everything should be
as simple as possible -
but no simpler
Albert Einstein




how do we know
when we’ve made
something as
‘simple as
possible’?



     @gilescolborne
Make the irreducible basic
elements as simple and as
few as possible without
having to surrender the
adequate representation
of a single datum of
experience
Albert Einstein


 This is what
 Einstein Really
 said. It’s more
 complex. But it’s
 more helpful.

     @gilescolborne
Make the irreducible basic
elements as simple and as
few as possible without
having to surrender the
adequate representation
of a single datum of
experience
Albert Einstein



 First, We’ve got to
 understand what’s
 at the core of the
 experience...

     @gilescolborne
Make the irreducible basic
elements as simple and as
few as possible without
having to surrender the
adequate representation
of a single datum of
experience
Albert Einstein




 ...Then we’ve got to
 make sure we don’t
 disrupt that.


     @gilescolborne
It’s about what’s core


@gilescolborne
A few years ago I
 was asked to re-
design an online
bank for a company
called Goldfish.
They wanted it to
match their brand
values: friendly,
Approachable and
simple.




   @gilescolborne    64
On one screen they
had a date
selection control.
This looks simple,
doesn’t it?




       Apr           2009   GO




  @gilescolborne                 65
What is minimal?
                            GO




                                    But the control
                                    was for selecting
                                    your bank
                                    statement. And it
                                    turned out to be
                                    too complex.

@gilescolborne                                          66
You could select a
date in the future.

And You’d see an
error message Saying
how stupid you were.

Not Friendly, simple
or approachable
behaviour




        Dec            2009   GO




   @gilescolborne                  67
You could select
dates from over a
year ago.

But the bank only
kept statements for
a year.

Again: Not friendly,
simple or
approachable.



        Feb            2008   GO




   @gilescolborne                  68
We asked ourselves
‘what’s really going
on here?’.

Users had 12 bank
statements to
choose from.

So We replaced it
with this. Which is
much simpler.          Apr 2009

                       Mar 2009
                       Feb 2009
                       Jan 2009
                       Dec 2008
                       Nov 2008

    @gilescolborne                69
What is minimal?
                 Jun 2009




                                Interestingly,
                                making things
                                simpler for the user
                                required more
                                complex
                                programming.




@gilescolborne                                         70
Because I design user
experiences, I’m talking
about interactions. Do
simple user experiences
require simple
aesthetics, too?



         Another look at
           aesthetics

  @gilescolborne
This bow is
Aesthetically
minimalist.

All other
movement is
eliminated,
accentuating the
bow. It’s
undeniably ‘Core’.




   @gilescolborne
But imagine a
courtier of the sun
king bowing - all
twirling hands and
bending knee.

It’s still
undeniably a bow.
The ornamentation
Draws attention to
the core Bow.




   @gilescolborne
What makes it work
is all that extra
stuff is aligned
with the idea of
bowing.

It’s purpose is to
emphasise, not
distract.




   @gilescolborne
What matters isn’t
minimalism, it’s that
Aesthetics and
experience are
aligned with the
core. This helps us
stay focussed and
keeps things simple.



   It’s about alignment


  @gilescolborne
Experience the proposition (game)
Recently, I was
asked to review a
user experience.

 a firm wanted to
 get users to
 play a game
based on their
marketing                  Sign up to the
programme, then             programme
sign up to a
mailing list and
get their friends
to join in.


                        Grow the audience


    @gilescolborne
Experience the proposition (game)


                                            Unfortunately,
Did you get a                              the first
high enough                                problem was, if
   score?                                  you didn’t get a
                                           high enough
                                           score on the
                       Sign up to the      game, you
                        programme          couldn’t
                                           continue.




                    Grow the audience


@gilescolborne
Experience the proposition (game)

                                           To encourage
                                           them to keep
Did you get a                              trying and sign
high enough                                up, the company
   score?                                  needed to offer
                                           a huge prize -
                                           a car.
                       Sign up to the
 Win a car!
                        programme




                    Grow the audience


@gilescolborne
Experience the proposition (game)


                                          Next, the company
                                          asked users to
Did you get a
                                          invite their
high enough
                                          friends to enter.
   score?

                                          So ask yourself:
                       Sign up to the     ‘Would I like my
 Win a car!
                        programme         friend to win a
                                          car?’ Absolutely!

                                         And ‘Would I like
                                         my friend to get
                                         the car that I’m
                                         trying to win?’
                    Grow the audience    Sadly, no.


@gilescolborne
Experience the proposition (game)
                                              The user’s tasks
                                              weren’t aligned
                                              to the company’s
                                              goals.
Did you get a
high enough
                                          The experience
   score?
                                         felt complex and
                                         contrived.
                      Sign up to the     it didn’t work.
 Win a car!
                       programme



                                                Leave



                    Grow the audience


@gilescolborne
Our advice was,      Experience the proposition (game)
once the user
had completed
the game, ask him          Compare your
to sign up and                score
post his score
on an online
scoreboard.
                           Sign up to the
                            programme
This aligned with
the competitive
nature of the
game.




                        Grow the audience


    @gilescolborne
Experience the proposition (game)
Then, ask him to
challenge a
friend to beat
                           Compare your
His score.
                              score

(We didn’t need
to give away a
car to get                 Sign up to the
people to invite            programme
friends.)

Simplifying the            Compare with
experience was              your friends
about aligning
users’ goals and
tasks.
                        Grow the audience


    @gilescolborne
Now we have some
rules to help us
‘eliminate what is
unnecessary’.



  Thoughtful reduction
   is about ‘core’ and
       ‘alignment’

  @gilescolborne
What can we learn
from our other
strategies for
simplicity?


      1. Remove features
      2. Hide features
      3. Group features
      4. Displace features

  @gilescolborne
There are a couple
of ways to hide
features. One is to
use a hatch or
slider...




                      OP
                      EN




   @gilescolborne
Another is to use a
 touch screen
 controller, like
 this one.

However, a DVD
player costs $40
and a normal DVD
remote costs less
than $1 to make.

 This touch screen
 would end up
costing more than
the DVD player. So
it’s not a solution
for The DVD
problem.


    @gilescolborne
Even hatches like
this are
problematic,
because they tend
to break off and
they’re more
complex to
manufacture.

we’re simplifying by
increasing
complexity.

Nevertheless,
Hiding features can
be a good strategy.



   @gilescolborne
Intel 2 GHz processor
                 2 GB memory             When you’re
                 Large hard drive
                                         creating a website
                 Weighs 6lbs
                 Wireless                to sell, say,
                 Widescreen Display      laptops, if you
                 Webcam
                 Choose from
                                         don’t give all the
                 a range of colors       specs the experts
                                         hate it.

                                         And they tell the
                                         mainstreamers that
                                         those laptops are
                                         for babies.
@gilescolborne
DNDPPA1
                 Intel Core2 Duo T8100 / 2.1GHz
                 64bit
                 2GB L2 Cache
                 800 MHz Data bus
                 Mobile Intel GM965 Express
                 IEEE 802.11b/g / Ethernet / Fast Ethernet
                 250GB SATA-150          But if you show the
                 15.4 TFT 12800x800 WXGA
                                        mainstreamers all
                 Intel GMA X3100 DVM 4.0
                 2M pixel camera
                                        the specs they
                 IEEE 1394              discover that they
                 HDMI Type A            don’t know what an
                 VGA 15 pin out        L2 Cache is.
                 1 x 6 cell Li Ion @ 56 Wh
                 Shock 30.0 g @ 3ms half-sine pulse (operating) / 163.0 g @ 2ms half-sine
                 pulse (non-operating)
                                          The site is telling
                 8in1 card reader         them they’re not
                 STAC9228 codec           qualified to own
                                          such a complex
                 Dell wireless 1395 Wireless NIC

                                          laptop.
@gilescolborne
If you check the
                 ‘features’ of a
                 MacBook on Apple’s
                 website, you get a
                 magazine style page
                 with basic info for
                 mainstreamers.




@gilescolborne
Apple gives experts
                 a link that will
                 appeal specifically
                 to them, but not
                 the mainstreamers.




@gilescolborne
When they click on
                  it, they find a
                  wealth of technical
                  detail including
                 specs, bullet
                 points and data
                 tables. They’re
                 happy. but the
                 mainstreamers
                 never have to know
                 about this stuff.

@gilescolborne
Hide things where
people will find them

@gilescolborne
Our third strategy
                     is to chunk things

    1. Remove features
                     together in groups
                     which are easier to
                     take in.

    2. Hide features
    3. Group features
    4. Displace features

@gilescolborne
We can make the
play button bigger.
Move it to the top.
shade some
buttons so that
they stand out
more.




   @gilescolborne
If you were to
                                  memorise these
                                  numbers, you’d
                                  have a hard time.

                                  in a week, chances
                                  are you’d have
                                  forgotten them.


            9            64
       3
                 7
                     2
                              8   1   5




@gilescolborne                                        96
Here are the same
                   numbers, but
                   neatly arranged.
                   There’s nothing to
                   distract you.

                   you’ll remember
                   this in a week’s
                   time, no problem.




            123456789


@gilescolborne                         97
All we’ve done is
                   regularised the
                   layout, and relied
                   on a pattern that
                   was already in your
                   head.

                   But it makes a huge
                   difference.




            123456789


@gilescolborne                       98
Here’s another
                 example - a form
                 for searching for
                 train times.

                 This works just
                 fine in user
                 testing, but people
                 hesitate over it.



@gilescolborne                       99
Here’s our
                 redesign.

                 By grouping the
                 fields, using a
                 regular grid and
                 using a little white
                 space instead of a
                 lot of shading, we
                 made it much
                 simpler to use




@gilescolborne                     100
You’ll find more
                 good advice on
                 strategies for
                 simplifying through
                 grouping in this
                 book.



@gilescolborne                    101
Sometimes you need to
                                       add
                 features to make somet
                                        hing              simpler.

                 By adding features you
                                        can
                 complete a group that us
                                          ers expect.

                 This is a pre-paid travel
                                           card that
                 you can use on London
                                           transport.




@gilescolborne                        http://www.flickr.com/photos/drpritch/206995378/
There are many
                 problems with
                 oyster cards, but
                 one is that you
                 can’t use them all
                 the time.



@gilescolborne                                            103
                 http://www.flickr.com/photos/kasperweibel/210261931/
Hong Kong’s
                  octopus card is
                 similar - but it does
                 more. You can use it
                 in more places -
                 including in shops
                 and vending
                 machines at train
                 and bus stations.

                 It does more and
                 that feels simpler
                 because it fits with
                 the users’ mental
                 model of ‘money I
                 use when
                 travelling’.


@gilescolborne                                            104
                       http://www.flickr.com/photos/ja-ae/1345116562/
OUr last strategy
                  Opens some
                  interesting
    1. Remove features
                  possibilities...



    2. Hide features
    3. Group features
    4. Displace features

@gilescolborne
We’ve ended up with
                 a simpler
                 controller - but
                 we’ve displaced
                 features and
                 complexity to an
                 on screen menu.


@gilescolborne
                    http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckelly/185726479/
As a solution for
                 the DVD remote, it’s
                 not perfect - you
                 need to spend a
                 lot of time and
                 money getting
                 those menus right.



@gilescolborne
                    http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckelly/185726479/
But it’s elegant.
                 And some people
                 have decided it’s
                 the right way to
                 go.




@gilescolborne
But there’s
                 somewhere else we
                 can displace
                 complexity - and
                 that is into the
                 user’s head.

                 Take a complex task
                 like planning
                 travel.

                 How would you
                 make it simpler?




@gilescolborne
About ten years
                                   ago, I had to
           STRATFORD-UPON-AVON     design a travel
                                   planner.
                 OXFORD

                                   I thought about
                          LONDON
   BATH                            what was core. I
                                   decided that Travel
                                   is about managing
                                   your movements in
                                   space and time.

                                   So I began with a
                                   map.




@gilescolborne
STRATFORD-UPON-AVON


                        OXFORD


                                         LONDON
   BATH


    The Roman Baths
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer
    adipiscing elit. Morbi commodo, ipsum sed
    pharetra gravida, orci magna rhoncus neque,
    id pulvinar odio lorem non turpis.            I let people inspect
    Mon-Fri 0900-1830 (includes Bank Holidays)
    Sat-Sun 0900-1730
                                                  locations on the
    Christmas: Closed                             map and see how
    £10 Adults, £5 Children / Student / Over 65   long it would take
    Allow 1 hour minimum            Add this      to visit them.




@gilescolborne
My Travel Plan

                                                  LOCATION ACTIVITY        TIME
                STRATFORD-UPON-AVON
                                                              Excelsior
                                                  Bath                     N/A
                                                              Hotel
                        OXFORD
                                                              The Roman
                                                  Bath                  0930-1030
                                                              Baths
                                         LONDON
                                                              Train to
   BATH                                           Bath                     1042-1153
                                                              Oxford
                                                              The King’s
    The Roman Baths                               Oxford                   1230-1400
                                                              Head
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer
    adipiscing elit. Morbi commodo, ipsum sed
    pharetra gravida, orci magna rhoncus neque,       Th
                                                  Oxford ey Puntingd
                                                            coul      1415-1515
                                                                     add
    id pulvinar odio lorem non turpis.
                                                      locations to an
                                                            Ashmolean
    Mon-Fri 0900-1830 (includes Bank Holidays)
                                                  Oxford              1530-1700
    Sat-Sun 0900-1730                                 itinerary. They
                                                            Museum
    Christmas: Closed
                                                     could re-arrange
                                                            Train to
    £10 Adults, £5 Children / Student / Over 65   Oxford              1722-1835
                                                            London
                                                     them, save them,
    Allow 1 hour minimum            Add this
                                                     delete them.




@gilescolborne
My Travel Plan

                                                  LOCATION ACTIVITY        TIME
                STRATFORD-UPON-AVON
                                                              Excelsior
                                                  Bath                     N/A
                                                              Hotel
                        OXFORD
                                                              The Roman
                                                  Bath                  0930-1030
                                                              Baths
                                         LONDON
                                                              Train to
   BATH                                           Bath                     1042-1153
                                                              Oxford
                                                              The King’s
    The Roman Baths                               Oxford                   1230-1400
                                                              Head
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer
    adipiscing elit. Morbi commodo, ipsum sed         They’d end up with a
    pharetra gravida, orci magna rhoncus neque,   Oxford    Punting   1415-1515
    id pulvinar odio lorem non turpis.                travel plan and
    Mon-Fri 0900-1830 (includes Bank Holidays)        th    Ashmolean
                                                  Oxford ey’d be able to
                                                                      1530-1700
    Sat-Sun 0900-1730                                       Museum
    Christmas: Closed                                see if their
                                                            Train to
    £10 Adults, £5 Children / Student / Over 65      it
                                                  Oxfordinerary was
                                                            London
                                                                      1722-1835
    Allow 1 hour minimum            Add this         possible in the time
                                                     available.



@gilescolborne
My Travel Plan
                                                         When we tried it
                                                  LOCATION ACTIVITY  TIME
                STRATFORD-UPON-AVON                      out, Users hated it.
                                                             Excelsior
                                                  Bath                   N/A
                                                             Hotel
                        OXFORD                         Even though I’d
                                                            The Roman
                                                  Bath designed an 0930-1030
                                                            Baths     open-
                                         LONDON        ended task users
                                                            Train to
   BATH                                           Bath                1042-1153
                                                       felt too
                                                            Oxford
                                                      co The King’s 1230-1400
                                                  Oxford nstrained.
    The Roman Baths                                          Head
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer
    adipiscing elit. Morbi commodo, ipsum sed
    pharetra gravida, orci magna rhoncus neque,       So
                                                  Oxford   I decided 1415-1515
                                                             Punting   to give
    id pulvinar odio lorem non turpis.
                                                      the users’ a
                                                             Ashmolean
    Mon-Fri 0900-1830 (includes Bank Holidays)
                                                  Oxford m
                                                      si plMuseum ol 1530-1700
    Sat-Sun 0900-1730                                        er to      and
    Christmas: Closed
                                                     let themto ndle the
                                                             Train ha
    £10 Adults, £5 Children / Student / Over 65   Oxford               1722-1835
                                                             London
                                                     complexity of
    Allow 1 hour minimum            Add this
                                                     managing their
                                                     travel.



@gilescolborne
I let users create
folders, name them
as they pleased,
and put whatever         Tuesday
they wanted into
the folders.

The users thought
of labels I’d never
have imagined and       Kid’s things
used these simple
tools to create
complex plans.



                      Travel discounts

   @gilescolborne
Because the
                 tools were
                 simple, they
                 could see how to
                 adapt them to
                 suit their needs.




@gilescolborne
                    http://www.flickr.com/photos/-po/302360126/
This is the most
satisfying form
of simplicity.

 Creating
 something simple
like twitter that
people use in
unexpected and
imaginative ways.

 The tool is
 simple. But
 complex
behaviour
emerges from
it.



   @gilescolborne
So we have four
                     strategies that
                     work in different
                     ways.

    1. Remove features
                     But in each case,
                     we can’t

    2. Hide features completely
                     eliminate
                     complexity.

    3. Group features
    4. Displace features

@gilescolborne
Sometimes we
                   can’t remove
                   features.

                   Sometimes we
    1. Remove features
                   need to add
                   them.


    2. Hide features
                   and sometimes
                   fewer features

    3. Group features
                   can feel more
                   complex.


    4. Displace features

@gilescolborne
Hiding features
                     works - but we
                     have to figure
                     out where to hide

    1. Remove features
                     something so it
                     can be found.


    2. Hide featuresAnd it means we
                    have to add
                    components to

    3. Group features
                    the system.



    4. Displace features

@gilescolborne
Grouping
                     features works -
                     if the user has
                     complex

    1. Remove features
                     knowledge.




    2. Hide features
    3. Group features
    4. Displace features

@gilescolborne
And when you
                    displace
                    features, you
                    push complexity

    1. Remove features
                    to another part
                   of the system
                   (or the users’
    2. Hide features
                   imagination).



    3. Group features
    4. Displace features

@gilescolborne
I wanted to be
                  able to state
                  some laws of
                  simplicity as well
                  as some tips for
                  achieving it.




    What about some laws?



@gilescolborne
The first law of simplicity:

Complexity is never eliminated,
merely reduced and displaced
                  my first law is that, even
                                             if
                  you reduce complexity,
                                           you
                  will not eliminate it.

                  So you must Ask yourse
                                         lf:
                  where do I want the
                  complexity to end up?
 @gilescolborne
The second law of simplicity:

  Simplicity is an experience
it happens in the user’s head
                 My second is that simpl
                                         icity
                 is whatever your users
                 think it is. It’s their
                 experience that determin
                                          es
                 whether something is
                 simple.

@gilescolborne
Focus on these


•   What is core
•   Make your experience compact
•   Align the experience to what’s core
•   Rely on existing user knowledge
•   Decide where you want to place complexity
•   Trust the user
                            if you want to improve
                            simplicity, you can add
                                                    these
                            focus points to the
                            strategies. But above al
                                                     l,
                            Don’t prescribe what’s
                            simple - you must trus
                                                    t
                            your users.
    @gilescolborne
giles.colborne@cxpartners.co.uk




                       @gilescolborne




        Contact me...
        Questions about making things simpler
        Examples of things made simpler
        Ideas or comments to share

@gilescolborne                                  127
Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0




   If you like the photos in this presentation, check the Flickr URLs in the bottom right hand corner of each page.




@gilescolborne

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Secrets of Simplicity: rules for being simple and usable (Giles Colborne)

  • 1. Secrets of simplicity Giles Colborne cxpartners @gilescolborne http://www.flickr.com/photos/jordoncooper/2854553375/
  • 3. Many people have the Suspicion that technology is out to get us. Making technology simpler seems like an obvious way to save ourselves. @gilescolborne http://www.flickr.com/photos/24017046@N05/2415666205/
  • 4. Ten years ago, this was the standard for how we ought to access the internet. @gilescolborne
  • 5. Today, a simpler alternative dominates the web. @gilescolborne
  • 6. The first iteration of zune was poorly received. @gilescolborne
  • 7. Zune 1.0 vs Zune 2.0 The second iteration had fewer features... ...And got better reviews. @gilescolborne
  • 8. there are 113 links on a page when all I want to know is ‘will it rain in Ithaca?’ this seems over- 113 complicated. @gilescolborne
  • 9. ...especially when you compare it to desktop widgets like this, which tell you the weather without the clutter. @gilescolborne
  • 10. my Swiss army knife, has all these features which are supposed to be useful. But I hardly ever use it... @gilescolborne http://www.flickr.com/photos/captainammonite/3316277831/
  • 11. ...Instead, I’m more likely to pick up a screwdriver to open a Can of paint, stir the paint, gouge a hole in something, reach a coin that’s stuck behind the fridge... or even tighten a screw. @gilescolborne http://www.flickr.com/photos/-po/302360126/
  • 12. People are crying out for less @gilescolborne
  • 13. One reason we’re drawn to what’s ‘simple’ is that we’re trying to get stuff done faster. @gilescolborne http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwarby/3296379139/
  • 14. We’re also trying to fit more in. Multi-tasking is easier when you keep the tasks simple. @gilescolborne http://www.flickr.com/photos/peninah/2468918040/
  • 15. No one wants to read the manual. We want something simple we can pick up and use right away. @gilescolborne http://www.flickr.com/photos/e-coli/419976117/
  • 16. And we’re using technology in safety critical environments. complexity can be a fatal distraction. @gilescolborne http://www.flickr.com/photos/cl191/2965160625/
  • 17. We used to go to these guys when we wanted to get our hands on technology... @gilescolborne
  • 18. ...Nowadays, we’re buying and using technology as consumers. So we expect simple, usable consumer devices. @gilescolborne http://www.flickr.com/photos/pingping/61487601/
  • 19. Simplicity has become a goal of our culture. Alain de Botton points out that cultures are drawn to create the things that are missing from their age and environment. @gilescolborne
  • 20. So the 18th century was a time of revolution, social upheaval and disruption to the old order... @gilescolborne
  • 21. ...And the architecture of that period turned to ancient values and classical order. @gilescolborne http://www.flickr.com/photos/merry_meet/3468018982/
  • 22. Fast forward a hundred years to the industrial revolution. people were reduced to components in factories... @gilescolborne
  • 23. ...Yet the Victorians aspired to rustic architecture and the medieval artisanship of the Arts and Crafts movement. @gilescolborne
  • 24. SO to our age of confusing moral relativism and globalisation. your life can be disrupted instantly at any time by a stranger on the other side of the world... @gilescolborne
  • 25. And in our confusing world we aspire to that which is minimalist, pared down and simple. @gilescolborne http://www.flickr.com/photos/hubmedia/2374756836/
  • 26. Less is more Mies Van Der Rohe So for practical, emotional and cultural reasons we crave simplicity. For people working in usability, it can seem like usability and simplicity are identical. @gilescolborne
  • 27. Simplicity is not the answer Donald Norman Unfortunately, for people looking for a panacea, simplicity isn’t the answer to all your usability problems. @gilescolborne
  • 28. Usability What consider to be usable varies depending on the context. the ISO definition of usability is efficiency, effectiveness and satisfaction Efficiency Effectiveness Satisfaction ISO 9241-11 @gilescolborne
  • 29. Business system Old school business systems tend to be imposed on users. Businesses want accountancy systems to be effective and efficient. user Satisfaction is nice but not top priority. Efficiency Effectiveness Satisfaction @gilescolborne
  • 30. Many Call centres Call centre are focussed on efficiency. Their primary measure of usability is: how many calls can an operator get through in an hour? Efficiency Effectiveness Satisfaction @gilescolborne
  • 31. Consumer web site Consumer web sites need to be effective and Satisfying to use. But consumers are poor at judging efficiency. Efficiency Effectiveness Satisfaction @gilescolborne
  • 32. Simplicity If you’re designing something simple for consumers, you have to hit high scores all three criteria. Ouch. Efficiency Effectiveness Satisfaction @gilescolborne
  • 33. Simplicity ≠ Usability So simplicity is not the same as usability. It’s just one case, and it may not always be the right strategy. @gilescolborne
  • 34. But simplicity still matters. Mobile is a good example of an area where simplicity is Crucial. @gilescolborne
  • 35. Simplicity is not the answer necessarily Donald Norman So it’s not the only route to usability. But people want and often need simplicity. @gilescolborne
  • 36. If you want to design simple things you’ll find yourself directed to this book. It’s good. But the advice inside is not very clear. @gilescolborne
  • 37. oe try P It’s not laws, it’s poetry. It works best if you let it wash over you. we need some Solid laws and clear strategies for simplicity. @gilescolborne
  • 38. I don’t want to hope that the hand of god touches my work. I want to know that I can make something simpler. @gilescolborne
  • 39. Here’s an exercise we try with new recruits. We take something that seems unnecessarily complex and ask them to... @gilescolborne http://www.flickr.com/photos/redjar/136216608/
  • 41. Play Pause Stop Rewind to beginning Forward to end Rewind Slow rewind Frame by frame rewind Fast forward Slow forward Frame by frame forward Cursor up / down / left / right Enter Return / back Menu (show the on-disc navigation screen or audio disc tracks) Top menu (show the on-disc navigation screen) Display (show options for this DVD) Eject TV on / off DVD on /off Numerical keypad Clear Time / Text Repeat (change repeat play settings) Picture navi (search by scene) Audio mode (language / audio format) Subtitles Camera angle Virtual surround sound Picture mode @gilescolborne Volume + / -
  • 42. Play Pause Stop Rewind to beginning Forward to end Rewind Slow rewind Frame by frame rewind Fast forward Slow forward Frame by frame forward Cursor up / down / left / right Enter Return / back Menu (show the on-disc navigation screen or audio disc tracks) Top menu (show the on-disc navigation screen) Display (show options for this DVD) Eject So how would you TV on / off DVD on /off make a DVD remote Numerical keypad control simpler? Clear Time / Text Repeat (change repeat play settings) Stop the Picture navi (search by scene) UP Audio mode (language / audio format) presentation and Subtitles A Camera angle try it now. Virtual surround sound Picture mode @gilescolborne Volume + / -
  • 43. I’ve seen some wonderful, creative solutions to this problem. They fall into four categories... The four solutions @gilescolborne
  • 44. 1. Remove features Get rid of some of those buttons that you never seem to use. @gilescolborne
  • 45. 2. Hide features Put some of the features behind a hatch where they won’t get in the way all the time. OP EN @gilescolborne
  • 46. 3. Group features Move the important stuff so that it’s easier to find and put everything in logical groups. @gilescolborne
  • 47. 4. Displace features For instance, Move the features to an on-screen menu on the TV set. @gilescolborne http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckelly/185726479/
  • 48. Sometimes people think instructions will make things easier. Adding more instructions doesn’t improve simplicity. it just gives everyone an excuse to stop trying to improve things. @gilescolborne
  • 49. 1. Remove features 2. Group features 3. Hide features 4. Displace features @gilescolborne
  • 50. It’s not a great answer for our DVD remote. If you remove a feature, someone will care. And you create problems for yourself elsewhere... @gilescolborne
  • 51. ...you have to make sure you market this ‘basic’ DVD player so customers know what they’re buying. And you have to have a customer support programme for all those people who didn’t realise that one day, they’d need the subtitles button. @gilescolborne
  • 52. removing features Can also make things feel more complex. This is the elevator in the Tokyo apple store. You can’t choose where to go. It just shuttles from floor to floor. @gilescolborne http://www.flickr.com/photos/nrvica/22840347/
  • 53. Logic says ‘this is a simpler design’. But people who’ve used it say it FEELS complex. They don’t like to be out of control... @gilescolborne http://www.flickr.com/photos/nrvica/22840347/
  • 54. ...Just like people who use wizards don’t like the feeling of being on a conveyor belt with no real control. @gilescolborne
  • 55. ‘Choose your own adventure’ gives the same limited control. But we understand it because it has a story to hold it all together. @gilescolborne
  • 56. Wizards Hide the story of what’s really going on from the user. They make it hard for the user to build a mental model. the user never progresses past the Novice stage. @gilescolborne
  • 57. Simplicity is not the answer Donald Norman Told you so Getting rid of features is hard. And it doesn’t always work as well as we’d hope. @gilescolborne
  • 58. Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add but when there is nothing more to take away Antoine de Saint Exupery But it’s an attractive solution. And it can work. The question is - how do you know what to take away? @gilescolborne
  • 59. Everything should be as simple as possible - but no simpler Albert Einstein how do we know when we’ve made something as ‘simple as possible’? @gilescolborne
  • 60. Make the irreducible basic elements as simple and as few as possible without having to surrender the adequate representation of a single datum of experience Albert Einstein This is what Einstein Really said. It’s more complex. But it’s more helpful. @gilescolborne
  • 61. Make the irreducible basic elements as simple and as few as possible without having to surrender the adequate representation of a single datum of experience Albert Einstein First, We’ve got to understand what’s at the core of the experience... @gilescolborne
  • 62. Make the irreducible basic elements as simple and as few as possible without having to surrender the adequate representation of a single datum of experience Albert Einstein ...Then we’ve got to make sure we don’t disrupt that. @gilescolborne
  • 63. It’s about what’s core @gilescolborne
  • 64. A few years ago I was asked to re- design an online bank for a company called Goldfish. They wanted it to match their brand values: friendly, Approachable and simple. @gilescolborne 64
  • 65. On one screen they had a date selection control. This looks simple, doesn’t it? Apr 2009 GO @gilescolborne 65
  • 66. What is minimal? GO But the control was for selecting your bank statement. And it turned out to be too complex. @gilescolborne 66
  • 67. You could select a date in the future. And You’d see an error message Saying how stupid you were. Not Friendly, simple or approachable behaviour Dec 2009 GO @gilescolborne 67
  • 68. You could select dates from over a year ago. But the bank only kept statements for a year. Again: Not friendly, simple or approachable. Feb 2008 GO @gilescolborne 68
  • 69. We asked ourselves ‘what’s really going on here?’. Users had 12 bank statements to choose from. So We replaced it with this. Which is much simpler. Apr 2009 Mar 2009 Feb 2009 Jan 2009 Dec 2008 Nov 2008 @gilescolborne 69
  • 70. What is minimal? Jun 2009 Interestingly, making things simpler for the user required more complex programming. @gilescolborne 70
  • 71. Because I design user experiences, I’m talking about interactions. Do simple user experiences require simple aesthetics, too? Another look at aesthetics @gilescolborne
  • 72. This bow is Aesthetically minimalist. All other movement is eliminated, accentuating the bow. It’s undeniably ‘Core’. @gilescolborne
  • 73. But imagine a courtier of the sun king bowing - all twirling hands and bending knee. It’s still undeniably a bow. The ornamentation Draws attention to the core Bow. @gilescolborne
  • 74. What makes it work is all that extra stuff is aligned with the idea of bowing. It’s purpose is to emphasise, not distract. @gilescolborne
  • 75. What matters isn’t minimalism, it’s that Aesthetics and experience are aligned with the core. This helps us stay focussed and keeps things simple. It’s about alignment @gilescolborne
  • 76. Experience the proposition (game) Recently, I was asked to review a user experience. a firm wanted to get users to play a game based on their marketing Sign up to the programme, then programme sign up to a mailing list and get their friends to join in. Grow the audience @gilescolborne
  • 77. Experience the proposition (game) Unfortunately, Did you get a the first high enough problem was, if score? you didn’t get a high enough score on the Sign up to the game, you programme couldn’t continue. Grow the audience @gilescolborne
  • 78. Experience the proposition (game) To encourage them to keep Did you get a trying and sign high enough up, the company score? needed to offer a huge prize - a car. Sign up to the Win a car! programme Grow the audience @gilescolborne
  • 79. Experience the proposition (game) Next, the company asked users to Did you get a invite their high enough friends to enter. score? So ask yourself: Sign up to the ‘Would I like my Win a car! programme friend to win a car?’ Absolutely! And ‘Would I like my friend to get the car that I’m trying to win?’ Grow the audience Sadly, no. @gilescolborne
  • 80. Experience the proposition (game) The user’s tasks weren’t aligned to the company’s goals. Did you get a high enough The experience score? felt complex and contrived. Sign up to the it didn’t work. Win a car! programme Leave Grow the audience @gilescolborne
  • 81. Our advice was, Experience the proposition (game) once the user had completed the game, ask him Compare your to sign up and score post his score on an online scoreboard. Sign up to the programme This aligned with the competitive nature of the game. Grow the audience @gilescolborne
  • 82. Experience the proposition (game) Then, ask him to challenge a friend to beat Compare your His score. score (We didn’t need to give away a car to get Sign up to the people to invite programme friends.) Simplifying the Compare with experience was your friends about aligning users’ goals and tasks. Grow the audience @gilescolborne
  • 83. Now we have some rules to help us ‘eliminate what is unnecessary’. Thoughtful reduction is about ‘core’ and ‘alignment’ @gilescolborne
  • 84. What can we learn from our other strategies for simplicity? 1. Remove features 2. Hide features 3. Group features 4. Displace features @gilescolborne
  • 85. There are a couple of ways to hide features. One is to use a hatch or slider... OP EN @gilescolborne
  • 86. Another is to use a touch screen controller, like this one. However, a DVD player costs $40 and a normal DVD remote costs less than $1 to make. This touch screen would end up costing more than the DVD player. So it’s not a solution for The DVD problem. @gilescolborne
  • 87. Even hatches like this are problematic, because they tend to break off and they’re more complex to manufacture. we’re simplifying by increasing complexity. Nevertheless, Hiding features can be a good strategy. @gilescolborne
  • 88. Intel 2 GHz processor 2 GB memory When you’re Large hard drive creating a website Weighs 6lbs Wireless to sell, say, Widescreen Display laptops, if you Webcam Choose from don’t give all the a range of colors specs the experts hate it. And they tell the mainstreamers that those laptops are for babies. @gilescolborne
  • 89. DNDPPA1 Intel Core2 Duo T8100 / 2.1GHz 64bit 2GB L2 Cache 800 MHz Data bus Mobile Intel GM965 Express IEEE 802.11b/g / Ethernet / Fast Ethernet 250GB SATA-150 But if you show the 15.4 TFT 12800x800 WXGA mainstreamers all Intel GMA X3100 DVM 4.0 2M pixel camera the specs they IEEE 1394 discover that they HDMI Type A don’t know what an VGA 15 pin out L2 Cache is. 1 x 6 cell Li Ion @ 56 Wh Shock 30.0 g @ 3ms half-sine pulse (operating) / 163.0 g @ 2ms half-sine pulse (non-operating) The site is telling 8in1 card reader them they’re not STAC9228 codec qualified to own such a complex Dell wireless 1395 Wireless NIC laptop. @gilescolborne
  • 90. If you check the ‘features’ of a MacBook on Apple’s website, you get a magazine style page with basic info for mainstreamers. @gilescolborne
  • 91. Apple gives experts a link that will appeal specifically to them, but not the mainstreamers. @gilescolborne
  • 92. When they click on it, they find a wealth of technical detail including specs, bullet points and data tables. They’re happy. but the mainstreamers never have to know about this stuff. @gilescolborne
  • 93. Hide things where people will find them @gilescolborne
  • 94. Our third strategy is to chunk things 1. Remove features together in groups which are easier to take in. 2. Hide features 3. Group features 4. Displace features @gilescolborne
  • 95. We can make the play button bigger. Move it to the top. shade some buttons so that they stand out more. @gilescolborne
  • 96. If you were to memorise these numbers, you’d have a hard time. in a week, chances are you’d have forgotten them. 9 64 3 7 2 8 1 5 @gilescolborne 96
  • 97. Here are the same numbers, but neatly arranged. There’s nothing to distract you. you’ll remember this in a week’s time, no problem. 123456789 @gilescolborne 97
  • 98. All we’ve done is regularised the layout, and relied on a pattern that was already in your head. But it makes a huge difference. 123456789 @gilescolborne 98
  • 99. Here’s another example - a form for searching for train times. This works just fine in user testing, but people hesitate over it. @gilescolborne 99
  • 100. Here’s our redesign. By grouping the fields, using a regular grid and using a little white space instead of a lot of shading, we made it much simpler to use @gilescolborne 100
  • 101. You’ll find more good advice on strategies for simplifying through grouping in this book. @gilescolborne 101
  • 102. Sometimes you need to add features to make somet hing simpler. By adding features you can complete a group that us ers expect. This is a pre-paid travel card that you can use on London transport. @gilescolborne http://www.flickr.com/photos/drpritch/206995378/
  • 103. There are many problems with oyster cards, but one is that you can’t use them all the time. @gilescolborne 103 http://www.flickr.com/photos/kasperweibel/210261931/
  • 104. Hong Kong’s octopus card is similar - but it does more. You can use it in more places - including in shops and vending machines at train and bus stations. It does more and that feels simpler because it fits with the users’ mental model of ‘money I use when travelling’. @gilescolborne 104 http://www.flickr.com/photos/ja-ae/1345116562/
  • 105. OUr last strategy Opens some interesting 1. Remove features possibilities... 2. Hide features 3. Group features 4. Displace features @gilescolborne
  • 106. We’ve ended up with a simpler controller - but we’ve displaced features and complexity to an on screen menu. @gilescolborne http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckelly/185726479/
  • 107. As a solution for the DVD remote, it’s not perfect - you need to spend a lot of time and money getting those menus right. @gilescolborne http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckelly/185726479/
  • 108. But it’s elegant. And some people have decided it’s the right way to go. @gilescolborne
  • 109. But there’s somewhere else we can displace complexity - and that is into the user’s head. Take a complex task like planning travel. How would you make it simpler? @gilescolborne
  • 110. About ten years ago, I had to STRATFORD-UPON-AVON design a travel planner. OXFORD I thought about LONDON BATH what was core. I decided that Travel is about managing your movements in space and time. So I began with a map. @gilescolborne
  • 111. STRATFORD-UPON-AVON OXFORD LONDON BATH The Roman Baths Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Morbi commodo, ipsum sed pharetra gravida, orci magna rhoncus neque, id pulvinar odio lorem non turpis. I let people inspect Mon-Fri 0900-1830 (includes Bank Holidays) Sat-Sun 0900-1730 locations on the Christmas: Closed map and see how £10 Adults, £5 Children / Student / Over 65 long it would take Allow 1 hour minimum Add this to visit them. @gilescolborne
  • 112. My Travel Plan LOCATION ACTIVITY TIME STRATFORD-UPON-AVON Excelsior Bath N/A Hotel OXFORD The Roman Bath 0930-1030 Baths LONDON Train to BATH Bath 1042-1153 Oxford The King’s The Roman Baths Oxford 1230-1400 Head Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Morbi commodo, ipsum sed pharetra gravida, orci magna rhoncus neque, Th Oxford ey Puntingd coul 1415-1515 add id pulvinar odio lorem non turpis. locations to an Ashmolean Mon-Fri 0900-1830 (includes Bank Holidays) Oxford 1530-1700 Sat-Sun 0900-1730 itinerary. They Museum Christmas: Closed could re-arrange Train to £10 Adults, £5 Children / Student / Over 65 Oxford 1722-1835 London them, save them, Allow 1 hour minimum Add this delete them. @gilescolborne
  • 113. My Travel Plan LOCATION ACTIVITY TIME STRATFORD-UPON-AVON Excelsior Bath N/A Hotel OXFORD The Roman Bath 0930-1030 Baths LONDON Train to BATH Bath 1042-1153 Oxford The King’s The Roman Baths Oxford 1230-1400 Head Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Morbi commodo, ipsum sed They’d end up with a pharetra gravida, orci magna rhoncus neque, Oxford Punting 1415-1515 id pulvinar odio lorem non turpis. travel plan and Mon-Fri 0900-1830 (includes Bank Holidays) th Ashmolean Oxford ey’d be able to 1530-1700 Sat-Sun 0900-1730 Museum Christmas: Closed see if their Train to £10 Adults, £5 Children / Student / Over 65 it Oxfordinerary was London 1722-1835 Allow 1 hour minimum Add this possible in the time available. @gilescolborne
  • 114. My Travel Plan When we tried it LOCATION ACTIVITY TIME STRATFORD-UPON-AVON out, Users hated it. Excelsior Bath N/A Hotel OXFORD Even though I’d The Roman Bath designed an 0930-1030 Baths open- LONDON ended task users Train to BATH Bath 1042-1153 felt too Oxford co The King’s 1230-1400 Oxford nstrained. The Roman Baths Head Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Morbi commodo, ipsum sed pharetra gravida, orci magna rhoncus neque, So Oxford I decided 1415-1515 Punting to give id pulvinar odio lorem non turpis. the users’ a Ashmolean Mon-Fri 0900-1830 (includes Bank Holidays) Oxford m si plMuseum ol 1530-1700 Sat-Sun 0900-1730 er to and Christmas: Closed let themto ndle the Train ha £10 Adults, £5 Children / Student / Over 65 Oxford 1722-1835 London complexity of Allow 1 hour minimum Add this managing their travel. @gilescolborne
  • 115. I let users create folders, name them as they pleased, and put whatever Tuesday they wanted into the folders. The users thought of labels I’d never have imagined and Kid’s things used these simple tools to create complex plans. Travel discounts @gilescolborne
  • 116. Because the tools were simple, they could see how to adapt them to suit their needs. @gilescolborne http://www.flickr.com/photos/-po/302360126/
  • 117. This is the most satisfying form of simplicity. Creating something simple like twitter that people use in unexpected and imaginative ways. The tool is simple. But complex behaviour emerges from it. @gilescolborne
  • 118. So we have four strategies that work in different ways. 1. Remove features But in each case, we can’t 2. Hide features completely eliminate complexity. 3. Group features 4. Displace features @gilescolborne
  • 119. Sometimes we can’t remove features. Sometimes we 1. Remove features need to add them. 2. Hide features and sometimes fewer features 3. Group features can feel more complex. 4. Displace features @gilescolborne
  • 120. Hiding features works - but we have to figure out where to hide 1. Remove features something so it can be found. 2. Hide featuresAnd it means we have to add components to 3. Group features the system. 4. Displace features @gilescolborne
  • 121. Grouping features works - if the user has complex 1. Remove features knowledge. 2. Hide features 3. Group features 4. Displace features @gilescolborne
  • 122. And when you displace features, you push complexity 1. Remove features to another part of the system (or the users’ 2. Hide features imagination). 3. Group features 4. Displace features @gilescolborne
  • 123. I wanted to be able to state some laws of simplicity as well as some tips for achieving it. What about some laws? @gilescolborne
  • 124. The first law of simplicity: Complexity is never eliminated, merely reduced and displaced my first law is that, even if you reduce complexity, you will not eliminate it. So you must Ask yourse lf: where do I want the complexity to end up? @gilescolborne
  • 125. The second law of simplicity: Simplicity is an experience it happens in the user’s head My second is that simpl icity is whatever your users think it is. It’s their experience that determin es whether something is simple. @gilescolborne
  • 126. Focus on these • What is core • Make your experience compact • Align the experience to what’s core • Rely on existing user knowledge • Decide where you want to place complexity • Trust the user if you want to improve simplicity, you can add these focus points to the strategies. But above al l, Don’t prescribe what’s simple - you must trus t your users. @gilescolborne
  • 127. giles.colborne@cxpartners.co.uk @gilescolborne Contact me... Questions about making things simpler Examples of things made simpler Ideas or comments to share @gilescolborne 127
  • 128. Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 If you like the photos in this presentation, check the Flickr URLs in the bottom right hand corner of each page. @gilescolborne