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The biggest UX problem in the world is the hard-on developers have for constant change in the pursuit of "innovative aesthetics". New and shiny beats old and us

The biggest UX problem in the world is the hard-on developers have for constant change in the pursuit of "innovative aesthetics". New and shiny beats old and useful. I'm sick of having to Google how to do basic things because using English text on a button is some kind of unforgivable sin.

reportgunner 7y ago
So much this ! I feel like a toddler every time my UI is "upgraded".
kerkeslager 7y ago
It's not just an arbitrary decision to keep changing things. It's a function of the fact that companies are in a constant need to grow, and at some point users get bored with interfaces and leave, even if those interfaces still serve them the best. I think one of the big innovations Google Search brought to the table is the Google doodle. The main features of their interface have remained the same for over a decade: type what you want to search into the box, click "Google Search" and a list of results appears with links and brief intro text. There's new stuff on the search results page that wasn't there ten years ago, but it doesn't really interfere with the functionality. Such a simple interface would feel stale after 10 years for most applications, but having the Doodle means it changes over time, keeping it fresh in a way that doesn't interfere with the functionality. This allows them to keep users from getting bored with their product, while also not forcing users to learn a new interface with every refresh. I have a lot of problems with Google and don't use their search (I use DuckDuckGo). But I think we can still learn some valuable things from them.
- Causality1 7y ago
  Ironic that their own products like Gmail are some of the absolute worst perpetrators of this.
- layoutIfNeeded 7y ago
  The Google Doo-what? Sorry, but in the past 15 years I only ever visited Google Search by typing my query into the browser’s address bar. I don’t know what is this “doodle” you’re referring to.

reportgunner 7y ago

So much this ! I feel like a toddler every time my UI is "upgraded".

kerkeslager 7y ago

It's not just an arbitrary decision to keep changing things. It's a function of the fact that companies are in a constant need to grow, and at some point users get bored with interfaces and leave, even if those interfaces still serve them the best. I think one of the big innovations Google Search brought to the table is the Google doodle. The main features of their interface have remained the same for over a decade: type what you want to search into the box, click "Google Search" and a list of results appears with links and brief intro text. There's new stuff on the search results page that wasn't there ten years ago, but it doesn't really interfere with the functionality. Such a simple interface would feel stale after 10 years for most applications, but having the Doodle means it changes over time, keeping it fresh in a way that doesn't interfere with the functionality. This allows them to keep users from getting bored with their product, while also not forcing users to learn a new interface with every refresh. I have a lot of problems with Google and don't use their search (I use DuckDuckGo). But I think we can still learn some valuable things from them.

Causality1 7y ago
Ironic that their own products like Gmail are some of the absolute worst perpetrators of this.
layoutIfNeeded 7y ago
The Google Doo-what? Sorry, but in the past 15 years I only ever visited Google Search by typing my query into the browser’s address bar. I don’t know what is this “doodle” you’re referring to.