Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Book Reading #51 - Living With Complexity

Chapter 1: Why Is Complexity Necessary? Summary:
Complexity is necessary because our lives and the things we do are complex. However, complex does not mean difficult; rather, that is the definition of complicated that Norman uses. The key is eliminating unnecessary complexity which can lead to complications or confusion.
Chapter 2: Simplicity is in the Mind
Summary:
Simplicity is not the answer. Humans say that they want things simple, but yet prefer to buy items with more features and buttons. Perceived complexity decreases as the user becomes more experienced with the particular item or system.
Discussion:I couldn't get over how he got the in field fly rule wrong for baseball. When the ball is in the air, runners stay on base. Thus, if the fielder dropped the ball on purpose, he could easily turn a double or even triple play. Also, this is only when there are runners on first, first and second, or bases loaded, because of the force out rules. Other than that, I hate Norman. He's redundant and boring.

The second chapter is alright. I feel as though I've read the part about conceptual models three times now. I agree that simplicity is perceived and not usually a good thing. I did chuckle about the automated washer still having lots of buttons to make it look better.

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