Today I went to buy cornflakes – but which? Plain, honey, almonds, clusters, pecan… What brand? Honey Bunches, Kellogs, Special K, Safeway… God, why do I need to pick between so many almost-identical choices? I want just one, just one that… works.
Disgruntled I returned home to my web developer work, pulling out the PayPal developer page that proudly boasts: “To start accepting recurring payments we offer six different product choices.” What the hell? This means I need to read through six different (poorly explained) product pages, six different documentations and six different code samples to make an educated choice. There is no reason I should have to do that; the particular problem does not require so many solutions! And I am not the only one annoyed by this.
Barry Schwartz, in his TED Talk, does an excellent job of explaining the Paradox of Choice. In a nutshell, people like to have choices, it lets us feel we’re in control, that we have freedom but… we don’t actually want too many choices.
Having too many options quickly leads to information overload, indecisiveness and over-elevated expectations. So many variables mean much more time needed to research them all, and even if we do make the best choice possible, there will always be this lingering thought that maybe, just maybe, another one would have been better. In worst case, it can even inflict a decision-making-paralysis.
And as much as I dislike Apple products, as much as I refuse to use their devices… I have to admit their design principle is spot on here. Sure, geeks and nerds like me love these options, tinkering with their little gizmos, but the average user does not. He does not care what word processor he has; he just wants to write words. He does not care what browser he uses; he just wants to check Facebook. He does not care which mouse button he’s clicking; he just wants to open his music folder.
Simplicity. It saves time and lets us enjoy the experience, without worrying if we chose the right one.
I am not arguing against competition, and I still favor open platforms (like Android), but for once, I understand and fully appreciate the philosophy behind Apple’s design.