What does the interactive design for simplicity bring to the user?

Classic Contrast

Remember that group of classics can not be classic contrast it? The same is the installation of new programs, Windows operating system you need to do is keep clicking the next step, not only that, there will be many advanced options for you to ponder and change, and Mac OS X operating system, What you need to do is just a simple drag. Which one do you like better as a user?

　　The mindset of the user

Both the PC and the mobile end are common, and then we're going to explore a question, what is the purpose of the user using a smartphone? In his book, "Tapworthy:designing great iphone Apps," Josh Clark gives the answer to the three-typical mentality of mobile users using the iphone:

Want to complete the micro-task;

Want to know about the events that are happening around you;

Want to pass the boring time.

However, behind the three typical mindset, users still have a lot of subtle emotions in their hearts, and sometimes they don't realize it. What this article will discuss is that they still have a lot of "don't want" emotions. One of the three most representative "Don't Want" is:

Don't want to have too long to wait;

Don't want to have too much difficulty;

Don't want to have too much trouble with the process.

In these three "do not", if the wait time is too long, the user may give up waiting, directly exit. If it is too difficult to get started, users may learn to give up halfway, and then constantly hit the wall, resulting in discontent. Only this last point, if the operation process is too troublesome, probably nothing will happen.

The question arises, why is it that the most demanding users are indifferent to this? Because users do not know what they are doing to achieve their immediate goals, they are in trouble.

　　My story.

To see a story of my own: I used my Macbook to surf the web to find information, and I saw a website showing information containing weight information of 5 pounds. I don't know what the 5-pound concept is, so I intend to convert it to kg. So, I checked the text, right button copy, in the browser to create a new tab, open Baidu, right paste, click the Search button. After this series of operations, then Baidu search page finally appeared I want to see the information, "1 lb = 0.45359237 kg", and then delighted to find that Baidu provides a measure conversion, in which the number of input 5, got the result I eventually want, 5 lb = 2.26796185 kg. At this point, the goal is achieved. Many times after that, I was doing the same. I can neither wait too long nor feel it too hard to do. The key is that such an operation in my eyes, is normal, but also feel that there should be such a process.

Suddenly one day, I bought and installed a software named Popclip with the recommendation of a friend and expanded a lot of add-ons. This software can help me simplify the entire operation process. Or the original story, all I need to do now is--Select the text and click on the balance icon. This easy two-step is done after the goal is reached.

After encountering the Popclip software, I realized that the operation that was consumed in order to achieve the conversion goal was so troublesome. Why didn't I feel this way before? The answer is, I don't have a normal, hassle-free, and fast-moving process, so I'll take it for a reason that a troublesome process is normal and acceptable. Just like in the beginning of the article, if you have never used Apple's operating system to install software, you may never know how troublesome it is to install software on the Microsoft operating system you are using.

　　Conclusions from different angles

Another way of thinking about the problem is that if a product, whether an application or an operating system, if to simplify the original intention of the interactive design, to the user a normal and not troublesome even simple and convenient operation process, first of all users will be welcome to your products, like today's Popclip This applies to all the same praise. Because you successfully let the user realize that their original operation, is so troublesome. By contrast, you provide a streamlined process that is so simple and convenient.

　　Examples of Excellence

Nowadays, many excellent products are trying to simplify the process for the users, but the interactive design of simplifying the original intention has also brought a lot of praise to these products. Here are a few of these representatives:

MIUI

Scene One: Close all applications that have been opened

Originally we have to: double click the Home key, long press a program icon, click Red Small minus, then click Red Small Minus, then click Red Small Minus, then click ...

Now we can: Long press the Home button, click the Sweep button.

Scene Two: (Home suddenly outage, need to find the gate box) to open the flashlight

Originally we had to: press power key, slide unlock, right row page, right row page, right row ..., find flashlight application and click.

Now we can: press the Power key and press the home key long.

　Smartisan OS

Scene One: Use the picture you just photographed to change the avatar to a contact

Originally we have to: Open the Address Book, click on someone's name, click on the upper right corner edit, click to add Photos, click to select Photos, click on the camera film, select a picture, click Select.

Now we can: Open the Address Book, click on someone's head to call out the Fan menu, click on the editor Avatar, (hereafter for the author yy~) Click on the "recent shooting" option, click to select.

Scene Two: All the corner mark to clear Zero

It turns out we have to: go into an application (here, for example, in the App Store), select the update tag, click on the top right corner update all, enter the password, click OK, press home key to return to the main screen, (this time also have to often click "good" this button) into another application, return to the main screen, and then into another application ...

Now we can: the palm across the screen.

　　Watercress Group APP (IOS)

Scenario: Add a picture to the content you want to publish

We had to: click on the camera icon, select the user album, click on the camera film (or other), select a picture.

Now we can: click on the Photo album icon to select a picture.

Weicopro (IOS)

Scenario: Add a jigsaw puzzle to your upcoming microblog

Originally we had to: Press home key to exit Weibo, (this may need to right page) find the United States Mito application and click to enter, click on the puzzle, the puzzle, click to save and share, press the home button to exit the United States Mito, (at this point may need to page the left) to find micro-blog application and enter, click the camera icon, Select a user photo album, click on the camera film (or other), and select the photo you just spelled.

Now we can: Click on the puzzle icon to do the puzzle.

In fact, users, especially ordinary users are very easy to meet, although they are sometimes on the surface look picky and harsh. In the interactive design of your products designed to simplify the original operation process it! Don't think about whether there is a more innovative way of interacting with a drawer or whether there is a more unique gesture operation than the right one, to meet the user's small emotional needs, and once they find out, they will fall in love with your product. In other words, to simplify the operation process for the purpose of interactive design products, to bring users is the most basic emotional satisfaction. The user does not like the operation process too troublesome, although may sometimes they did not discover, but they really did not like the troublesome thing in the emotion.

Last Words

Hope that most people often hang on the tip of the word is: are such a simple and easy to use products to be used to, and now I feel that the products that they have been using the good trouble!

I have always believed that the user now feel acceptable to the operating process, must be the future will prove to be the most troublesome one.