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Airplane cockpit design is also "cluttered", but the people who will be using the cockpit interface (trained pilots) want that. The cockpit is designed for the

Airplane cockpit design is also "cluttered", but the people who will be using the cockpit interface (trained pilots) want that. The cockpit is designed for the pilot, and in every case design should be catered to the needs of the user. I work in UX specifically and try to oppose designing same-y interfaces at every turn. Different apps have different users with different needs. Unfortunately, this is an uphill battle as we've established some mystical need for "branded" interfaces that all look and act the same, regardless of the function or user need.

rusticpenn 6y ago
Airplanes are driven by people who are trained specifically for this purpose, Software tools don't have this requirement.
- eXpl0it3r 6y ago
  That's not really true. Every custom built tool receives some form of training. Easily accessible designs lend themselves more for getting right into and learning by doing as a lot is self-explanatory and the user isn't overwhelmed. On the other hand, nice designs with lots of space, often also end up with slow response times and lots of scrolling of clicking, making certain work quite tedious. As the parent comment said, software should really be built for the user and not just so everyone and their children can use it (unless that's your target group). Financial terminals don't have the super nice designs to it, but they are highly functional, customizable and fast. A lot of cashier terminals are still running on old hardware with bad designs, yet they are highly functional. I think there's always room for improvement and with every change you'll see a certain amount of push back, but I think it's important to consider the user and not write "simplified" software, when you have power users in front of you.
  - rusticpenn 6y ago
    I agree with you. The UX/UI patterns should be functional first with a focus on primary userbase. In many startup scenarios, however, the users are not identified yet, so this UX pattern works only when you are well aware of the business case and user capabilities.

rusticpenn 6y ago

Airplanes are driven by people who are trained specifically for this purpose, Software tools don't have this requirement.

eXpl0it3r 6y ago
That's not really true. Every custom built tool receives some form of training. Easily accessible designs lend themselves more for getting right into and learning by doing as a lot is self-explanatory and the user isn't overwhelmed. On the other hand, nice designs with lots of space, often also end up with slow response times and lots of scrolling of clicking, making certain work quite tedious. As the parent comment said, software should really be built for the user and not just so everyone and their children can use it (unless that's your target group). Financial terminals don't have the super nice designs to it, but they are highly functional, customizable and fast. A lot of cashier terminals are still running on old hardware with bad designs, yet they are highly functional. I think there's always room for improvement and with every change you'll see a certain amount of push back, but I think it's important to consider the user and not write "simplified" software, when you have power users in front of you.
- rusticpenn 6y ago
  I agree with you. The UX/UI patterns should be functional first with a focus on primary userbase. In many startup scenarios, however, the users are not identified yet, so this UX pattern works only when you are well aware of the business case and user capabilities.