Usability Issues: Clean Design
This one can be a bit controversial. I believe in simple design. That way user is a somewhat forced to go into most important options/functions which are displayed at the screen.
Sure, most of applications have more functionalities than simple search button, but still it is possible to fill the space with clean working area hiding most of options behind toolbar or menus. I think web browsers are quite good at it. Main area filled with web content, tabs boosting application usability, toolbar with 5 buttons and 2 edit boxes and menus hiding all the rest.
The other approach is to put it all on the sight. Take typical news portal. A number of lists with different content, a growing number of ads, blinking background, pictures etc. All the crap is there and suddenly you can’t find your favorite column. It’s always tempting for marketing to put as much as possible on the starting screen to show all the features of the app.
I don’t buy that. I believe the clean design is much more useful. However like I’ve said there are different opinions about this one.
Whole usability issues series.
2 comments:
I second that one entirely! Especially now, with all of the information overload around.
BTW, I like 37signals' approach / philosophy when it comes to interface design (true, they leave out a lot of features - can't be done with every business model). Do you follow their blog sometimes (http://www.37signals.com/svn/)? I think it's worth a read.
I think 37signals is one of best known examples how to bring simple and clean design to appliations which were usually rather cluttered. However I'd like to see how they would deal with accounting software. I think that would be a challenge.
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