Title: Why We Should Design Some Things to Be Difficult to Use
Context: Easier is not always better. Damn you Easy Button™! *shakes fist*
Synopsis: People seem to prefer getting better at things to being good at things. Making noticeable improvement is a very rewarding process, while always succeeding with minimal to no effort, can become rote. We are constantly trying to upgrade our skills, polish our capabilities, develop new strengths. Why? Because stasis is boring. Difficulty can be frustrating, but overcoming difficulty is exhilarating. Sure there are parts of our lives that we can’t be overly bothered with and mindless mastery makes them easier to digest (think: tooth brushing, shoe tying, “how-are-you?”-ing) but the effort expended on what remains is directly proportional to the level of satisfaction derived from getting good at it. If everything was easy to use, everyone would be universally equivalent and how would we differentiate ourselves? Even more importantly, why would we differentiate ourselves? Universal simplicity is a boundless sea of monotony. But give people a challenge and watch them self-actualize all over the damn place.
Best Bit: “[I]f you want to reduce accidents, install a sharp spike pointing outwards from the steering wheel of every car, aimed at the driver’s heart.”
via wired.com
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