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Norman & Spolsky - Simplicity is Out
guanxi writes ""As simple as possible, and no simpler", you might have heard a few time, or KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). No more! The new hot trend is complexity: '[I]f you think simplicity means ... "does one thing and does it well," then I applaud your integrity but you can't go that far' says Joel Spolsky. 'Why are Yahoo! and MSN such complex-looking places? Because their systems are easier to use [than Google]' explains Donald Norman, who also also tells us that Simplicity Is Highly Overrated. Are they trying to make a subtler point, are they just consultants making a splash, or complexity the Next Big Thing in design?" From the 'highly overrated' article: "After touring the store my two friendly guides and I stopped outside to where two new automobiles were on display: two brand new Korean SUVs. Complexity again. I'm old enough to remember when a steering wheel was just a steering wheel, the rear view mirror just a mirror. These steering wheels were also complex control structures with multiple buttons and controls including two sets of loudness controls, one for music and one for the telephone (and I'm not even mentioning the multiple stalks on the steering column). The rear view mirror had two controls, one to illuminate the compass the other simply labeled "mirror," which lit a small red light when depressed. A rear view mirror with an on-off switch? The salesperson didn't know what it did either."
You do know who Don Norman is, do you?
No, I don't. I noticed some other books on his blog that looked interesting, but I'm writing based specifically on this article. Not on prior achievements.
Perhaps his motives are not the typical "drive traffic here" or, more generally, "hey look at me!". I'm skeptical. Even an otherwise rational, academic type is as likely as the next guy to do something purely for self-aggrandizement now and then.
In any case, it's a poorly thought-out article regardless of his intentions.
-stormin
The Southern Baptist Convention has creationism. On Slashdot, we have porn.
Flame me, I don't care, but there are many shells for Windows that do half past anything. Geoshell, Enlightenmnet, Litestep, up to things like Talisman. OOB there's not much, and on Macs there's even less, but Mac lovers like everything the same way anyway. Still, though.