Table of Contents
Complexity breeds confusion
Software has become increasingly complex. To achieve this, it’s easier to follow step-by-step instructions than to try and figure out what you should be doing. The difficulty lies with figuring out where you should start when they all seem like they are the same thing. One source of confusion for many people is the number of windows and tabs that have opened at their computer desk. Many do not understand to which program they should go next, or even how to create a new document or modify an existing one. They just want an answer to their question, but every software application focuses on a different thing. This stems from the fact that software programs literally can’t focus on anything. As soon as they try, they end up dealing with another thing. In the end, everything that a program can do is useless because it leads to more confusion on a user’s mind. Software makes it too easy to do too many things.
Software make things easier, but some users forget that it also makes them less efficient. If users are not tired of their software, then they will be tired of doing everything else that requires more effort than clicking one button or dragging and dropping an icon. The amount of time people spend playing around with their computer decreases as their experience level increases. As they become more advanced, they understand issues better and can accomplish the same tasks without having to go through a dozen different steps. The software does help them become more efficient, but it also makes them too efficient. Software introduced for the average user is easy enough that those users are stuck in their approach and start to take shortcuts because they don’t feel like going through different steps.
The problem with modern software
Modern software is guilty of having too many features. While this seems like a good thing, it actually leads to complexity. Every feature leads to another, which means that you have to know at least as much about them as you do your own name before using any software effectively. The problem that most people have with software is that they don’t know how to get started. They need someone to point them in the right direction, and then they can take it from there. Unfortunately, this rarely happens. Most of the time, people are left to fend for themselves as soon as they open their computers. To make sure that no one is confused at any given time, the software requires you to select a feature before you are allowed to proceed. It’s so frustrating, because there is no easy start button that takes you right to your goal. The problem with most modern software is that it’s too complex to learn efficiently.
Simplicity is key
Simplicity is key to improving the experience of using modern software. Users don’t know what they need and are overwhelmed by the options that are presented to them. This can be frustrating because it’s hard to find an answer to a general question. With turn-by-turn instructions, no matter where you begin, you can figure out a way to get there. This is what simplification means: taking something complicated and turning it into something simple that everyone can understand. With a simplified software experience, you can focus on doing what you need to do without being concerned about how you will accomplish your goals. Simplification can provide this relief because it allows people to access all of the features that they need without having to know any of the features that they don’t need.
##
Title:Introduction to simplification [MULTIMEDIA] [DESCRIPTION]
What do we mean when we talk about simplification? This video demonstrates what it means to simplify something and why it’s important. The next video in the series shows you how to simplify your software experience. This is what makes software enjoyable and approachable in today’s world of hard-to-read interfaces.
##
Title:How to simplify your software experience [MULTIMEDIA] [DESCRIPTION]
How to simplify modern software
The way to simplify modern software is by breaking things down into smaller steps that anyone can follow. Instead of trying to learn all of the different functions available with a program, it would be better to teach people how to accomplish a particular goal and then present them with more options for achieving the same thing. This is how simplification works: people can better understand the concept that they are trying to learn, and it makes the process much easier for them. People cannot be expected to know everything about a program in its entirety. They need someone to guide them through their new software, and then show them where to find the things they want.
Simplification doesn’t mean to dumb down software; on the contrary, it means to collect features together to make a much more understandable program. Simplification is simply a process of drawing out steps that will take the user from the first use of a program, to the last. It’s not about dumbing down what people are not already familiar with, but instead focusing on how they will benefit from certain aspects of their software.
People who are new to a program should focus on learning the most important features, and then move on to the more complex features that allow them to use the program in ways they hadn’t realized.
To read the original article, click here:Why Simplification is vital [original website publisher’s link – see end of article]
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Paul Ormerod.
This article was written by Paul Ormerod for The Conversation, and republished here with permission.
The views expressed in this commentary are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily or exclusively those of the publisher.
This commentary is published on The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read more about the Creative Commons license on our FAQ page.
Image: © Lloyd Morgan/Shutterstock.com (cropped)
Examples of overly complex software and how to simplify them
Here are some examples of overly complex software that people have to deal with on a regular basis: They need to edit photos from a vacation. They have heard that there are many options to choose from, but they don’t know where to start. They just want to make the most out of the pictures that they took, and find it incredibly difficult figuring out what each of those options actually do. Editing a photo is simple enough — after all, we take them in the first place — but they have no idea how to get where they need to be. They’ve read the instructions, but nothing is clear. In most software programs, it would be easy enough to create a ‘filter’ or ‘rotate’ function. But in photo editing programs, there are many different options that do multiple things at once and it often isn’t clear what any of them actually do.
