I like Jakob: In 2003, he wrote that his mission included:
“…to defend humans from overly complex technology.” [1]
This is useful.
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1. Alertbox #200, Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox, September 29, 2003, http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20030929.html
It seems that “simple” products may be what consumers will want in 2007. CNet News.com quotes Ed Zander, Motorola CEO:
“Mobile communication, said Zander, “is coming down to cool experiences and simple things.”” [1]
I wonder if one comes first: cool or simple? (Chicken or Egg?)
Do people use simple products and then declare them cool, or do people use cool products and then declare them cool?
The answer could be both: “both”.
a.) Some people, after finding a product simple to use, will then declare it cool and recommend it to other people.
b.) Those other people, before using the product, and based upon either hearing of the ‘cool’ endorsement or observing a ‘cool’ factor of the product such as its appearance / design / product feature list, will be motivated to use the product, figure it out, and then deem it simple.
So, instead of COOL/SIMPLE being a ‘Chicken or Egg?’ thing, maybe they’re more of a ‘Peanut Butter and Chocolate Together’ thing – two ingredients of one product.
One more observation. Can you substitute these words into Ed’s quote?
Cool = Fashionable/Fun
Simple = Useful
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1. Motorola’s mission? Make everything mobile, By Erica Ogg, Staff Writer, CNET News.com, Published: January 8, 2007, 3:48 PM PST, http://news.com.com/Motorolas+mission+Make+everything+mobile/2100-1033-6148323.html