|
Normal people can't use software.
Here. for example, is a rough breakdown (from a recent survey)
of PC users:
|
10% - Technologically Savvy. Either working in a tech
industry, or technologically oriented, or (very rarely) extremely
well trained.
Of course, almost every person involved in the design
of mobile and PC software and services - what these do, and why, and
how - is in this group. And inevitably, they design for this
group.
|
|
40% - Heavy Users Forced To Get By. Have to sit at a PC for
large parts of the day. Have had to find ways to get it to do what
they need it to do for work - though often not the easiest way. Have
very little idea about things the Technologically Savvy regard as
everyday - hotkeys, preferences, drag&drop, word processor "styles".
|
|
50% - Lost Souls. Have been shown a few extremely basic
functions (like sending a simple email on a home PC), but sometimes
it doesn't seem to work, and they've no idea why not, and they've no
idea what (if anything) they might do about it. Can't use
most websites as they can't understand the terminology, structure or
operation.
|
Why ignore up to 90% of the market, just because other people
do?
When all we need to do is to find out what normal people really
want and need and would like, deliver it simply, and ensure that the
rest of the functionality that the 10% of us want doesn't
get in the way of that UI?
It's not just mobiles and PCs. Almost anything involving any kind
of technology now comes with endless features that obscure the
important stuff - e.g.:
- The majority of people can't set their VCR/DVD timer to record a TV
program, because features obscure the important stuff. There
might be 40 buttons on the remote, and you need to know which 15 to
use and in what sequence...
- People struggle with their microwave because some
feature-crazed people replaced the two-knob interface by the
thirty-two knob interface.
|
