The key to good UI design is not simplicity | Hacker News Reader

The key to good UI design is not simplicity

4 pointsbdclimber146 comments

...it's familiarity.

I wrote a comment (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2044399) in regard to simple CMS systems (and why restaurant websites suck). The key to remember is that the computer illiterate population (e.g. small businesses) have such a problem with technology, that commonly perceived "simple systems" are still too advanced. "As simple as email" is an oxymoron to the small business owner. Email wasn't ever simple, it was a huge pain to figure out! It's just something they suffered through because they needed it.

So the next time you design something for a small business owner (or similar market), don't design for simplicity because it's a nirvana you will never achieve. Design for familiarity with something your target market already knows.

One case in point is Posterous. Tumblr has a pretty simple interface, but it isn't familiar to what we already knew. Posterous used email, which was familiar, not simple.

And yet, Tumblr is better than Posterous.

I know this is subjective, but my point is: maybe the use of email in Posterous appeals to you, but it never appealed to me.

Agreed and well stated. However, since, the concept of "familiarity" will continue to change, how will modern UI designers understand what their end-users know, relative to what they should know? In order for the design to evolve, people must often be led. I whole-heatedly agree with you that simplicity is a relative term, but truly finding the nexus of your users' understanding vs. what they need to know is difficult.

The offer.

They suffered through email? The necessity.

The success/failure of your simplified (not simplistic) UI rests on, I'd say, the true value of the offer it is presenting to the user.

I'm separating learning curve from usable-"ness"

Also the money they spend on their website (may be they dont need to spend that much) does not allow them to work with people who are good at whet they are doing .

So what's "familiar" to the IT-illiterate?

Email is one. Outlook is another. Many small business owners are decent at Microsoft products because of previous day jobs. I'm sure it pains you to think that your next startup could look like Word's interface, but that could be the meal ticket.

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