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Conceptual models
A conceptual model is the underlying belief structure about how something works.
For example, on many computers, the process of dragging and dropping files into a folder seems simple because people already understand physical files and folders. But understanding it is only possible because of an effective conceptual model. A computer does not have files and folders and will store data in multiple places.
The complexity of a structure is all in the mind. When we want something to be simpler, we only need a better conceptual model of it.
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To do a difficult thing in the simplest way, we need a lot of options. When looking an any set of tools for a task, such as a digital photo editing program, a novice will see complexity. A professional sees a range of different tools, each of which is easy to use. They know h...
"The total complexity of a system is a constant. If you make a user’s interaction with a system simpler, the complexity behind the scenes increases."
When we desire a simpler life, we normally mean we want products and services to have fewer steps, fewer controls, fewer options, less to consider. But we also want all the features and capabilities. These two ideas are often at odds.
Life can be really complicated. We fa...
The more complex something is, the more controls it needs, whether visible or invisible to the user.
- From the user's view, products and services are automated. If you stay at an expensive hotel, your room is always as you want it. The staff handles the complexi...
- How simple something looks is not a reflection of how simple it is to use. If complexity is a constant, then there are trade-offs.
- Things don't always need to be very simple for users. When a product or service is too simple, users can feel robbed of control. We should recogn...
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Why is marking a book indispensable to reading it?
First, it keeps you awake, not merely conscious, but wide awake.
Second, reading, if it is active, is thinking, and thinking tends to express itself in words, spoken or written. The person who says he knows what he thinks bu...
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Our various cognitive biases make us behave irrationally, even though we believe we are acting logically. If we are tired, in a rush, or are distracted we tend to rush towards a bad decision. Other factors include working with an authority figure or in a group.
The rule to follow is to nev...
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“Curiosity is antifragile, like an addiction; magnified by attempts to satisfy it.”
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