I have always wanted to coin a term and maybe this is my chance. How about “The Law of Just Simple Enough”. Here is how it goes:
Software has a certain difficulty threshold; when the software stays below the threshold, it will be used productively, but when it passes the threshold it will cease to be used at all.
So many software packages have slick Flash demos that make them look like the cat’s meow. But once a user starts using the software day in and day out, and really gives the core features a workout, many features will be quickly abandoned because they are too hard to use or just don’t make any sense at all.
We have come up with (what we thought were) some great features in our software, but when a user starts clicking down the wrong path or produces an unintended result, they will often give up rather than persevere.
A lot of work and thought goes into making software obvious to a wide range of users who have varying thought processes and needs. There is nothing more educational than sitting down with a novice user and watching them use your software and seeing where they succeed and where they fail.
When software is done right it makes a difficult task seem easy enough for a small child. That is exactly how MS Word was – six versions ago!
