We can define simple - as something that is easily understood or done; presenting no difficulty. Simplicity is subjective, things that appear simple for one person will not be perceived identically by another.&nbsp;Generally, we form our personal opinion regarding any process being simple or complex, in three quick stages:<ul><li>How easy you understand what you need to do.</li><li>The time/effort needed to reach your final goal.</li><li>If it is enjoyable or not.</li></ul>

What is “simplicity”?

There is so much software that tries to do so much for so many audiences, everyone tries to be a Swiss Army Knife of the industry.&nbsp;If you want your product to be simple you need to define a core value and identify who is this product really for. Not every product should have Facebook built-in.

Build products with focused value

The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction. When in doubt, just remove.&nbsp;Secondary information, not frequently used controls, and distracting styles. It’s as easy as that. Once you start to apply this principle you will immediately see the results. But be careful of what you remove.

Remove everything unnecessary

The majority of products that we design daily are focused on a lot of data that the user needs to make sense of in order to efficiently carry on their daily task.&nbsp;When you know users interested in trends and changes, help them with visual representation rather than a bunch of numbers. You always can show additional information on demand. Try to extract the meaningful from the data you have and put it in front of the user.

Translate data into a meaningful format

Hick’s Law predicts that the time and the effort it takes to make a decision increases with the number of options.&nbsp;So if you want your user experience to feel simple you need to support quick decision-making as much as possible. Eliminate the need to choose when is not required, guide and handhold user.

Support quick decision making

Current psychological theory and research affirm the positive affective and motivational consequences of having a personal choice. These findings have led to the popular notion that the more choice, the better — that the human ability to manage, and the human desire for, a choice is unlimited. But in reality, research proves the opposite.

Too many choices will scare off customers

When choices cannot be avoided, try to limit them. Provide a recommendation yourself or share statistics of what is most preferred by other customers.&nbsp;Clearly communicate to the user what the key difference between proposed options. This approach is often used on pricing plans pages.

Provide recommendations where multiple choices are presented

When you understand the journey of your user to reach their goals, at every stage of that journey are things that are more relevant and will help you to progress to the final goal. Find those key areas and draw user attention to them.

Draw users attention to the right areas

How many times have you heard — “Users don’t read”. And it’s kind of true, we are really selective to what we actually remember or deep dive to.&nbsp;There are so many characteristics that can influence what type communicates: typeface &amp; font, size, kerning, leading, capitalization, and color. Use that to communicate the hierarchy of content. With the right use of color and typography, you will be able to reflect product branding and make it instantly recognizable, much more attractive, and memorable.

Use color and typography to communicate a hierarchy of content

The organization of elements not only improves recognition but also makes it easier to remember. When operating any machine, it’s very important to remember the position and function of all controls.

Organizations help the system of many look fewer and more manageable.

Often an easy way to simplify a complex page is to start grouping components. At that point, users are dealing with few groups rather than with multitudes of unrelated components.&nbsp;Adding borders (creating common regions) around an element or group of elements is an easy way to create separation from surrounding elements.&nbsp;There are multiple principles of grouping in Gestalt psychology that help items feel related: Proximity, Similarity, Continuity, Closure, and Connectedness.

Group related content

Different kinds of forms are present almost in any product. Sometimes even after removing the unnecessary, those can get huge. Such forms can be very demotivation for the user to finish. So what we can do is break up that huge task into a series of smaller ones. All of a sudden everything seems much easier. Finishing a small subtask gives the user a portion of endorphins and satisfaction to carry on.When designing forms, use a one-column layout instead of multiple columns. A one-column layout is much easier to fill out.

Break up huge tasks in smaller steps, try a one-column layout

Uncertainty makes us anxious, it should be avoided as much as possible. That’s why at any time unless it’s obvious, the user should be able to see where he is currently in the process, where he coming from and what’s coming next.&nbsp;Keeping a summary of the previously provided information is also a good idea, it lowers loads on user memory and removes the need to go back to double-check previous steps.

Be transparent in communicating the process and system status

The human brain is bad at raw arithmetic involving numbers. Evolutionary pressures have favored brains optimized for object recognition compared to arithmetical operations.&nbsp;Try to leverage the system to do all calculations instead of the user.

Do the calculations for your user

Progressive disclosure is a design pattern used in UX design to make user interfaces easier for users to interpret. It involves sequencing information and actions across several screens so as not to overwhelm the user or hiding irrelevant information until it becomes relevant.Progressive disclosure follows the typical notion of moving from “abstract to specific,” including the sequencing of user behaviors or interactions.

Hide complexity with progressive disclosure

Users spend most of their time on other products. This means that users prefer your site to work the same way as all the other sites they already know, and they come on with specific expectations of how your product should look and behave.&nbsp;This statement holds true for any digital or physical product from social networks to your fridge and reflects consumer mindset.&nbsp;

Rely on commonly accepted patterns and interactions

The primary goal of any design should be connecting users to the value product provides as soon as possible. So anything that stands between a user and him actually operating a system, is a barrier unless it serves a functional need.&nbsp;The first-time experience is very important for any process, we humans are very quick to form our opinion about the product and walk away immediately if we are not satisfied. Provide contextual help instead of an upfront overwhelming user with learning material, design for empty states

Design a streamlined first-time experience

Ergonomics is the process of designing or arranging workplaces, products, and systems so that they fit the people who operate them. Most people think it is something to do with seating or with the design of car controls and instruments — and it is… but it is so much more. Ergonomics applies to the design of anything that involves people, including digital products.

Keep in mind ergonomics and circumstances under which product will be used

Remove all unnecessary interactions, views, steps in every process. There is an optimal speed at which the user should operate the system, it is called a “state of the flow”. Don’t break that flow with popups.&nbsp;For all actions/values that can be changed later, support inline edit as much as possible. Autosuggest values when a great number of values is available.

Support inline edit and autosuggest values

Smart defaults are selections put in place that provide answers to questions for you. This supports users to complete forms faster.&nbsp;Defining relevant defaults, designers need to understand users and the context in which they will use a product. This is only possible with deep research and testing, to learn from their users and adjust defaults based on their users’ historical data and usage patterns.

Use Smart Defaults to Reduce Cognitive Load

Error messages bring a lot of stress and bring the users a feeling that they messed up or are not up to the task. Ensure automatic check for entered data and provide alerts or reminders for inappropriate data entries to reduce errors.&nbsp;Either eliminate error-prone conditions or check for them and present users with a confirmation option before they commit to the action.&nbsp;

Prevent errors

As a designer, your goals are to champion accessibility, make sure your product is accessible by a broader audience without exclusions. There are over 1 billion people worldwide who have a disability.&nbsp;Don’t use color as the only visual means of conveying information. Ensure sufficient contrast between text and its background, support keyboard navigation etc. Accessibility is not confined to a group of users with some different abilities, when you design for accessibility you improve the experience for everyone using the product.

Design for accessibility

Companies are in constant pursuit of building simple and usable products. More features, new technologies, and advanced capabilities but still in a lightweight and simple to use format. More often…

Stashed ideas

How to simplify your design

Most people have a love-hate relationship with the office. In a world where remote work has proven to be effective and is preferred by the majority of employees, the office is having an identity crisis. Work is no longer a place you go to every day.  As organisations look to rebuild office life, they have an opportunity to rethink the office and the nature of work itself.

The office identity crisis

Many companies have already made physical changes to the office space, such as spacing desks further apart or offering hot-desking. However, companies should also make organisational and philosophical changes to how they use office space. The purpose of the office must shift from individual work to group work. The office should not just be an in-person collaboration hub but connected to the outside world that can include fully remote workers. The key is to create an experience that is the same for those in the office as for those who aren't.

Set a new purpose for time spent in the office

Not everyone will be able to come in person for collaboration as employees may remain permanently remote-only. Yet, there are ways to make work-from-home team members feel like they're connected. Companies can equip conference rooms with advanced video conferencing systems, larger screens, better sound systems, improved lighting, etc. In addition, remote workers will need better desktop setups, such as top-quality webcams, microphones, speakers, lighting, and headphones.

Supply employees with tools, not toys

Collaboration tools may not fit everyone. Different employee "personas" may require various tools to work effectively.  Take the time to survey your employees to find out their personas and ask them what tools will be more suitable to do their work.

Survey your employees before making changes

. . . and why a one-size-fits-all approach will fail.


3 ways to design a more successful hybrid workplace

The term “hybrid work” has come to mean more flexibility around working both remotely and in the office. But perhaps we could be applying the same term to the speed of work as well. What if hybrid means:<ul><li>Some days you work quickly and sprint, and other days you take things slow and focus more on the process and deep work.</li><li>Some months you happen to be in a busy period and you orient your life towards working from sun up to sleep, and then other months when work abates through the normal course of business, you take extended time off.</li></ul>

The many meanings of hybrid

“Fast, always” is a recipe for burnout. If there’s one thing the pandemic revealed, it was our society’s “cult of busyness.” We were able to see just how much of our day was engineered to make ourselves feel busy, regardless of whether or not we were making tangible progress on any meaningful initiatives (interpersonally or professionally).In order for Work-Life 2.0 to take hold, new hybrid styles of work will need to be invented and engineered in order to accommodate for the great awakening that has occurred (and is still occurring) across every generation.&nbsp;

The recipe for burnout

The term “hybrid work” has come to mean more flexibility around working both remotely and in the office. But perhaps we could be applying the same term to the speed of work as well. 


Leaders are thinking about hybrid work in a one-dimensional way. This is a better approach

Gaining your first 1,000 followers on Instagram can sound like an immense hurdle when you only have 5, and 1 of them is your mom. There’s also the problem of not knowing where to begin. If you’re talented enough to go viral in one go, congrats, but this isn’t for you.&nbsp;

How to Get Your First 1,000 Followers on Instagram

1. For 3 or 4 days, search for content that looks similar to what you want to post and engage with it through likes and comments. Your are now teaching the Instagram algorithm so that your explorer page accurately depicts what you want to show/see.2. After a few days have passed, go to the explorer page and find someone who has similar content and a bigger following.3. Examine the quality of the posts. What are they doing differently?4. Find relevant Hashtags. Hunt and note down all hashtags of accounts similar to you.

Organic Growth: Step By Step

<ul><li>Use your newly found hashtags with care.</li><li>Find followers with a genuine interest in your content.</li><li>When you interact with posts, leave thoughtful comments.</li><li>Unfollow spam accounts and people that didn’t follow you back</li><li>Have meaningful conversations and learn something from the community you’re attempting to engage.</li></ul>

Get Instagram Followers: Endgame

Gaining your first 1,000 followers on Instagram can sound like an immense hurdle when you only have 5, and 1 of them is your mom. There’s also the problem of not knowing where to begin. If you’re…

Developers are often one of the last lines of defense against potentially dangerous and unethical practices. The more software continues to take over every aspect of our lives, the more important it will be for us to take a stand and ensure that our ethics are ever-present in our code.We’re approaching a time where software will drive the vehicle that transports your family to soccer practice. There are already AI programs that help doctors diagnose disease. It’s not hard to imagine them recommending prescription drugs soon, too.

Being asked to code something deceitful

If you write code for a living, there’s a chance that at some point in your career, someone will ask you to code something a little deceitful – if not outright unethical. I wrote my first line of…

The code I’m still ashamed of

Oldstyle and lining figures look nice in sentences, where they better match the size and spacing of Lower-Case letters. Lining figures are more uniform, and reinforce the Grid-Like structure of the table. Tabular figures, on the other hand, are all Identically-Sized, so that columns of numbers line up properly.

Know your numerals

Css provides a Slightly-Cryptic syntax for enabling this feature. There are a few exceptions: the Excellentwork Sans is a free Typeface that has true Tabular lining figures. Monospace Fonts tend to have a more “source code” look, but they’ll always be Well-Suited to displaying numbers in tables. The new apple system default Typeface San Francisco has excellent Tabular lining figures and looks great at small sizes.

A technical note on using tabular lining figures

Numerical data is read Right-To-Left; that is, we compare numbers by looking at their ones digit, then their tens, then their hundreds. Tables should keep numerical data Right-Aligned; textual data is read from Left-To-Right. If two entries start with the same letter, the second letter is used, and so on. Headers, generally, should carry whatever alignment their data has.

Alignment Matters

One easy way to keep your tables properly aligned is to keep the same number of significant figures — usually the number of digits after the decimal — consistent within each column. Significant figures is a whole rabbit hole of a topic, so I’ll keep my advice here brief: the fewer sig figs you can get by with, the better.&nbsp;

Consistent Significant Figures = Better alignment

Providing labels to accompany your data is crucial. These pieces of accompanying context allow a data table to be read by a wider audience, in a broader set of circumstances.&nbsp;

Fewer, Clearer Labels

It might sound like conventional wisdom, but giving your data table a clear and succinct title is as important as any other design decision you make. With a good title, tables are portable: they can be used in a number of different contexts, as well as cited from external sources.&nbsp;

Title

The most common label used in tables is the unit of measurement for the data; often, it’s repeated along with every single data point. Instead of repeating the label, only include it with the first data point in each column.&nbsp;

Units

Keep headers as short as possible; the design of the data table should be focused around the data itself, and long header labels can occupy a lot of visual space.&nbsp;

Headers

When deciding how to style the graphic elements of a table, the goal should always be to reduce the table’s footprint without losing structural fidelity. One of the ways you can accomplish this is by using as little “ink” as possible — that is, whenever possible, choose not to style an element.&nbsp;

As little ink as possible

Horizontal rules allow you to significantly reduce the vertical space occupied by long tables. Rules should be extremely light to not interfere with quick scanning. One Unsubstantiated opinion is that zebra Striping is bad.

Rules

Using colors to provide organizational context or added meaning increases the likelihood of misinterpretation or error. Tables should be Monochromatic, with graphical elements like , and .

Backgrounds

Fivethirtyeight set their numerical data in a Typeface called Decima Mono. The Typeface is specifically designed to fit lots of data in a small space. Special thanks to Edward Tutte for his Insightful writing on design.

Design Better Data Tables

While many institutions have called for a full return to the office, others are moving in the opposite direction. These leaders have a responsibility to promote a remote-first mindset.
Yet, companies that are moving to a hybrid work model are wrestling with how to best deal with the proximity bias - the tendency to give preferential treatment to those who are physically present in the office.

The hybrid work model

The proximity bias is a mental shortcut that prioritises what feels the safest, even if it leads to faulty judgements. <ul><li>A 2015 study found that remote workers at a Chinese travel agency worked better than in-office employees but lost out on performance-based promotions.</li><li>Leadership are more forgiving of poor performance of those in close proximity while not properly valuing the expertise of remote workers.</li><li>Leaders may be inclined to hand an in-person employee an assignment rather than someone working from home.</li></ul>

Effects of the proximity bias

Leaders should realise that proximity bias can be an issue. Then they should find ways to challenge how they connect with hybrid teams.<ul><li>It might mean meetings should always be virtual, even if most are in the office.</li><li>Leaders should also have a system in place to connect with everyone in their team.</li><li>Workplace dynamics seem to be going through a huge shift, so people should be able to discuss what is working and what is not.</li></ul>

New ways of interacting

Research shows that we look more favourably on those whom we see more often. What does that mean for managers in newly hybrid setups?

Travis Sims@travissi

What is “simplicity”?

How to simplify your design

The office identity crisis

3 ways to design a more successful hybrid workplace

The many meanings of hybrid

Leaders are thinking about hybrid work in a one-dimensional way. This is a better approach

How to Get Your First 1,000 Followers on Instagram

How to Get Your First 1,000 Followers on Instagram

Being asked to code something deceitful

The code I’m still ashamed of

Travis Sims
@travissi