Should Software be Simplified?

It can be a huge timesink to get up to speed on a new software package. Making your way in an unfamiliar interface can at times be an exciting adventure, and at other times a deep lesson in frustration. Nothing can make you feel stupider than a piece of software that you just don’t understand.

Admittedly, there are software packages that accomplish such deep domain knowledge that the user really needs training. Software that fits that category is relegated to the professional ranks. When it comes to professional-grade software, those companies that offer different software packages for different levels of user help to bridge the initial grasp by presenting only a subset of the full features. Software with capabilities that depend upon the seriousness of the user save a lot of needless features to avoid “featuritis,” and it gives the user a sense of progression as they continue to polish their skills.

Stumbling around within complex software interfaces, you can see that we only scratch the surface of the capabilities in many software packages that we own. Whole toolbar categories often are used by just a handful of users. The issue of feature bloat crops into the picture for software that has had a long shelf life, where subsequent versions must offer more to continue attracting new investment.

We can become power users on some tools, but for others only need a small fraction of the tool’s capabilities. For these ancillary tasks, where so little functionality is needed, it would be nice to have more tailored and componentized tools.

Aligning to User Requirements

I recently had the pleasure to speak with Peter Batty, and he related the exercise that he’s going through with the social networking software that he’s working on. He hired a friend that advises software companies on interface and usability issues.

Peter related that it was amazing what items people completely miss on the screen. He said they didn’t yet have the Help function finished, but was advised to put a link to it in the interface anyway. Apparently most people won’t click on Help, but would likely comment on the lack of a Help feature if its missing.

It’s disconcerting to think that most of us are part of the camp that is oblivious to items the designers worked hard to make obvious. I guess that’s why there’s a whole field of usability testing, because what the designer might think is obvious can get lost on users, and users may completely miss features in software that are essential to the workflow.

This of course begs the questions, “What is simpler?” Even though what’s simple and intuitive for you may be harder for others, the general idea for simplified tools is fewer options and features with the fewest progression of tasks to reach the desired outcome.

Online Apps Gain Ground

The growing number of Software as a Service (SaaS) applications and Rich Internet Applications (RIA) that have cropped up lately fill simpler needs. These applications that run in a web browser and leave the bulk of the data on the application server have begun to infiltrate the desktop space. The lighter weight online applications are inherently simpler than a desktop system because they need to be streamlined to run on an online platform.

The advantages of online applications is that they don’t require installation, they work on most platforms regardless of operating system, their online status means that they can be richly collaborative among workgroups, and they can be upgraded seamlessly. Disadvantages include the need for online access and application performance tied to network performance.

These lightweight online applications can gain broader use within an organization, based on their ease of use and the tailored interface. Online applications also often come with the ability to control access to different features based on job function. Customized interfaces designed to meet all the requirements of certain user types result in an easier and more efficient workflow that’s specific to the task.

Simpler Reaches Farther

Geoexploration tools are a good example of how simpler tools gather wider use. The number of Google Earth downloads have recently reached 300 million. The simple user interface and rich visualization experience has become a model for delivering simple tools and a rich data experience for visualization and communications purposes.

Simpler tools definitely have the potential to reach more users. As we move forward in this newly-defined landscape, we need to ask the constant questions of user needs and the size of the audience that we hope to attract. And the richer visualization with simpler interfaces lesson of geoexploration tools should be extended to other tools that fill the entire geospatial process stack.

Read what Jeff Thurston has to say on this topic here.

References
Techâ€™s Late Adopters Prefer the Tried and True, New York Times
Why Some Software Is Not Simpler, Just Suckier, OnStartups Blog