Uploaded byDave Hogue
The Complexity Curve: How to Design for Simplicity (SXSW, March 2012)
The document discusses the concept of complexity in design, emphasizing that while complexity is often unavoidable, simplicity should be prioritized where possible. It explores various causes of complexity, such as design mistakes and cognitive load, and offers strategies for simplifying designs by understanding user mental models and encouraging critical thinking. The overall message advocates for thoughtful design practices that consider user experience while acknowledging that some complexity may be necessary.
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The Complexity Curve: How to Design for Simplicity (SXSW, March 2012)
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- 2. The Complexity Curve Designing for Simplicity @DaveHogue #SXsimplerUX
- 3. Welcome David M. Hogue,Ph.D. VP XD at Fluid San Francisco
- 4. Complexity is easy. Wecan make anything complex.
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- 6. Simple to read,difficult to set.
- 7. Not much haschanged…
- 8. Daylight Saving Time Starts tonight at 2:00 am. Do you know how to set your watch?
- 9. To make somethingsimpler, we first need to define complexity, which is, ironically, not simple.
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- 12. “… I knowit when I see it …” Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart (Jacobellis v. Ohio, 1964)
- 13. Three perspectives: Designers People (Users) Scientists
- 14. Designers Appearance Aesthetics Style
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- 18. Designers Functionality Context Flow
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- 21. What is thegoal?
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- 24. People Relevance Difficulty Clarity
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- 28. Scientists Chaos
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- 30. Edward Lorenz, Sc.D. dt/dx = σ(y−x) dt/dy = x(τ−z)−y dt/dz = xy− βz
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- 32. Chaos Dynamical systems Deterministic Not predictable
- 33. Chaos Self-organizing Emergent structure Sensitivity to perturbation
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- 35. Some things are naturallycomplex. So why discuss chaos?
- 36. Complex systems thatappear to have an impossibly large number of variables can actually be described and understood with remarkably few.
- 37. The Complexity Curve Inwhich the level of complexity increases the further we get into a design project.
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- 40. Where does complexity come from?
- 41. Let’s skip theobvious: Disregard for design www.webpagesthatsuck.com 790 Flickr groups with “bad design” in the name
- 42. Designers Models Patterns Scope Creep Constraints & Requirements
- 43. Expectations v. Reality Mental Conceptual System Model Model Model (user) (interface) (device)
- 44. Mental Model Mismatch Impedes progress Interrupts focus Incorrect direction
- 45. Designers Models Patterns Scope Creep Constraints & Requirements
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- 50. Designers Models Patterns Scope Creep Constraints & Requirements
- 51. Scope Creep (Jogor Run) Forgotten features Absent stakeholders Vendor systems
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- 53. Designers Models Patterns Scope Creep Constraints & Requirements
- 54. Constraints & Requirements Technical constraints Legal requirements Business unit requirements
- 55. System Model Exposure Whereis the current price per share? Why can't I buy a certain total value?
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- 57. Do not conflate complexitywith difficulty. Difficult tasks often appear complex only until we have learned the necessary knowledge and skills.
- 58. High cognitive loads feel difficult. Understanding and memory Problem-solving and decision-making Associations and connections
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- 60. Developing Expertise Declarative Procedural Automaticity Knowledge Knowledge (Habits)
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- 62. Technology Limitations
- 63. Limitations Materials Manufacturing Technological capability
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- 65. What can bedone about complexity?
- 66. Not everything shouldbe simple.
- 67. Law of Parsimony Allthings being equal, simpler solutions are generally better than complex ones.
- 68. The Complexity Curve In which the level of complexity may be decreased if we continue to iterate and refine the design.
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- 71. Technology Advances
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- 75. People Motivation Transfer Support
- 76. A sufficiently motivated person will tolerate: Complexity Difficulty Confusion
- 77. Sometimes we needto teach people, because we cannot make it any simpler.
- 78. Transfer of knowledge andskills Instruction Demonstration Analogy
- 79. Design Leverage our ignorance Place people first Use mental models Focus & Reduce Iterate
- 80. Leverage our ignorance. Often our best ideas arise before we have become shackled by constraints. Write them down before we know why we can’t do them. Then return to them.
- 81. Put people first. Motivation Behavior Emotion Creativity
- 82. Use mental models. Match conceptual and mental models Hide system models
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- 85. Focus Reduce Attention Effort Flow Time Errors
- 86. However, Simplicity is not just about reduction. Do not confuse subtraction with simplification.
- 87. “Make everything assimple as possible, but not simpler.”
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- 90. …away from theperson.
- 91. Law of Conservationof Complexity
- 92. Feature complete is notexperience optimized.
- 93. Iteration Incubation Cross-pollination Observation
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- 96. None of thesesolutions, advances, and innovations could have been possible without...
- 97. Critical Thinking A persistenteffort to examine any belief, idea, or fact in terms of the available evidence.
- 98. We know thatdesigners: Ask questions Gather information Identify problems Generate ideas Evaluate options Communicate solutions
- 99. Critical thinkers gofurther: Ask questions Gather information Identify problems Recognize assumptions Assess relationships Generate ideas Evaluate options Consider consequences Communicate solutions
- 100. Designing for simplicity is not about Checklists Formulas Patterns Rules
- 101. It is about Thinking and reasoning Understanding the problem Analyzing and optimizing
- 102. So, how dowe make stuff simpler?
- 103. Ten Opportunities to Simplify
- 104. “Messy & Confusing” Irrelevance Disorganization Ambiguity
- 105. Indirect Action Abstracted Disconnected Increased cognitive load
- 106. Everything to Everyone Too many variables Too little focus
- 107. Design by Consensus Scope creep (or worse…)
- 108. “Nice to have…” Noise Clutter Excess
- 109. Copying Solutions Misapplied patterns
- 110. Map Structure to Organizationor Technology Exposes the system model
- 111. Leading with Technology Solving the wrong (or non-existent) problems
- 112. A solution lookingfor a problem?
- 113. Or a tremendousopportunity?
- 114. Designing for Yourself Ignoring the person’s mental models
- 115. Accepting Assumptions Not collecting data Absence of critical thinking
- 116. It may becomplex if… “Messy & Confusing” Copying Solutions Indirect Action Map to Organization Everything to Everyone Lead with Technology Design by Consensus Design for Yourself “Nice to Have…” Accept Assumptions
- 117. Thanks! David M. Hogue,Ph.D. VP XD at Fluid San Francisco
- 118. The Complexity Curve Designing for Simplicity
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