5. Good design is unobtrusive
Products fulfilling a purpose are like tools. They are neither decorative objects nor works of art. Their design should therefore be both neutral and restrained, to leave room for the user’s self-expression.
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User research may suggest consumers want more choice. But more choice can confuse people and encourage indecision. A simple, uncluttered product doesn’t get in the way. It just lets people use it without thinking.
Google wasn’t the first search engine, but one of the reasons for its eventual success was the simplicity of its home page. Its stripped down approach could easily lead to it being devoid of humanity. But millions of people log in just to see the ever-changing logo.
To be unobtrusive is to make it as easy as possible for someone to use your product, website or service. It does not dominate the user, but let’s them get on without the product getting in their way. The title of Steve Krug’s book ‘Don’t Make Me Think’ says it all.
“More is safety. When a consumer is making purchasing choices, the product with more features may seem appealing - but that appeal doesn’t necessarily endure after the purchase has been made. At the point of desire you want more, but at the point of daily use, you want less.”
Shared under the Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence. With thanks to Dieter Rams and Vitsoe.
