User Interface Design in Our Complex World
When it comes to user interface design, simplicity is very important. Any user interface design manual will underline that it is vital to keep things as simple as possible. Clearly, none of us wants to make a website deliberately complex. After all, we are interested in creating the user interface design that will allow our visitors to get what they want. Otherwise, they will just leave. But does making user interface design straightforward and functional mean making it simple?
As I was choosing a replacement for my broken phone I found myself looking at the latest smartphones. I do not listen to music on my phone, nor do I surf the Internet or play games. Yet I want to have a smart phone with a multitude of features that I will probably never use. This is typical of human nature: complexity adds to the perceived value, and while we might not use most features we would like to feel in control and know that we can use them if we want to. The same is true for the user interface design of any device or appliance.
I recently read an article about electronic products in South Korea. The author was impressed by the user interface design complexity of Korean devices compared to non-Korean. When he asked locals why Korean user interface design differed from European, they said that Koreans just like complexity. In Korea, complex user interface design means status. It is not so uncommon for a good Korean toaster to have an LCD display and a remote control. If you want to sell electronics in Korea, forget about simple user interface design.
It turns out that we actually enjoy having lots of different features on our devices. We don’t really want the simplest user interface design. We want the user interface design that is easy to understand and yet that makes us feel in control.
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