I think there is a general tendency and trend for companies to infantilize users. "This repair is too complex" or "This UI is too complicated". Dumbing down thi

I think there is a general tendency and trend for companies to infantilize users. "This repair is too complex" or "This UI is too complicated". Dumbing down things to its detriment is how we operate these days. We constantly underestimate how everyone to used read Telephone books and Yellow pages - that kind of density and "complexity" would get shot down by designers today. Similar trends are going on in hardware design - design for maintanability is dying or dead. Partly due to aforementioned reasons and partly due to how cheap we've made everything (imported goods from China). When a kitchen mixer costs $1200, you betchya there are going to be shops that can fix it. I've worked in this area and you'd be amazed how engineers and designers choose to use ultrasonic welding to shave off 40 cents worth of fasteners. It's a no brainer and no one bats an eye. Unrepairability is deeply seeded from college education, corporate blue books, professionals, consumers, lawmakers to the supply chain, vendors, contracts, etc. I am glad we're talking about it.