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Myth: power and usability are opposites All users want power and control. If the UI is too confusing for the user, they are powerless. If the UI is too cripple
by extension 16y ago
Myth: power and usability are opposites
All users want power and control. If the UI is too confusing for the user, they are powerless. If the UI is too crippled to do what the user needs to do, they are powerless. An intersection must be found, where power emerges from simplicity.
- a-priori 16y agoPower by itself is useless unless the user feels powerful using the software. It is that feeling that drives the user to want to learn more. For them to get that feeling, the software has to be usable. It has to permit exploration (i.e, don't punish them for trying stuff) and give good, immediate feedback about what it is doing. The feedback allows them to build a mental model of the program.