bubba0077Aug 26, 2023
Pavel A. Samsonov

"Don't make me think" is only half of the story.

It's a #UX sin to assume that your app is the most important thing in your user's world, and add to their cognitive load unnecessarily. But sometimes the user *is* focused on your product. They don't want a low-touch, automagic experience. They want to be in control. Let them.

Don't *make* me think - but *let* me think.

This is part of why "reduce friction" is misleading. Friction is texture. Without it, there's nothing to grab on to

#UXDesign

Apr 14, 2023 at 2:09pmWeb
Show threadAna HevesiApr 14, 2023

@PavelASamsonov I think this talk by my buddy Ellen might be picking up what you’re putting down:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nPO4QL0Q85s

Is DevEx not good… because we don't want it to be? – Ellen Chisa

YouTube
Show threadninavizzApr 14, 2023
@PavelASamsonov yessssss... <3
Show thread████Apr 14, 2023
@PavelASamsonov Bookmarking 'friction is texture' in my brain, thanks.
Show threadJonathan Baker-BatesApr 14, 2023
@PavelASamsonov The inflection point is at the "concept" level though. Yes, "texture" in the engagement as you put it is good, but if the overall "journey" is unfamiliar that's usually the problem, not because they've been presented with too much info or some other such supposed issue. Poster child for this was Google Wave, but extant examples also I'm sure.
Show threadTaimar TeetlokApr 14, 2023
@PavelASamsonov and where appropriate — encourage users to think and encourage them to think differently — that’s often where new levels of success are reached.
Show threadalcinnzApr 14, 2023

@PavelASamsonov Browserengine design is interest...

Mostly I'm facilitating others to deploy their designs, but I'm also considering how I can better determine consent. How I can design the right friction to make that consent meaningful?

Then there's the question of accessibility mitigations: if webdesigners clearly don't know what they're doing I'm not gonna honor their wishes...

Show threadAaron BrethorstApr 15, 2023
@PavelASamsonov @joshledgard sounds a lot like Kathy Sierra’s code message: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iBtcGwHPMKM
Badass: Making Users Awesome by Kathy Sierra at Mind the Product San Francisco

YouTube
Show threadskryApr 15, 2023

@PavelASamsonov Yes, friction is the wrong thing to reduce, because it’s often a useful texture, slowing people down so they make a deliberate choice and avoid errors.

Consider reducing annoyance and repetitive tasks that people don’t want to do, but do tap the brakes for them when it helps them succeed.

When I think about any maxim for interface design, I ask myself whether it also applies to games. That point of view tends to keep me in the “it depends” zone, resulting in better decisions.

Show threadNathan SchneiderApr 18, 2023
@PavelASamsonov all of this can also be said about designing governance in a co-op, actually! https://ownershipmatters.net/article/106
Ownership Matters

Web site created using create-react-app

Show threadAsh ChudgarApr 21, 2023
@PavelASamsonov This is an axiom for the ages: "Friction is texture. Without it, there's nothing to grab on to"
Show threadScott JensonAug 25, 2023
@PavelASamsonov Agreed. It's one reason some Apple products are so criticized: they were TOO auto magical. Finding that balance between "too many concepts, weird navigation" and "It does one thing really well" is often tricky, especially for professional products.
Show threadEpiphanic SynchronicityAug 26, 2023

@scottjenson @PavelASamsonov That’s why the Mac is my favorite Apple product by far. There’s an easy, beginner-friendly layer on top, but beneath that are deeper power-user layers, all the way down to the Unix command line.

By contrast, iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches feel like well-designed, sophisticated appliances, with apps that snap into them like modules to extend their functionality.

Show threadcognitively accessible mathDec 28, 2023
@scottjenson @PavelASamsonov beat me to this.
Apple usually got wrong what I wanted, too. Only there was no way for me to say "this is what I want!!!"
Show threadNoah Mittman Aug 26, 2023
@PavelASamsonov I always apply Alan Kay's "make simple things simple and complex things possible" in this equation
Show threadJamieAug 26, 2023

@PavelASamsonov
This is a great point, and as a neurodivergent (AuDHD) software developer, this is almost to the level of an accessibility issue for me.

If something doesn't have the knobs for me to customize it and become a power user, I often have tremendous trouble engaging with it. If I can't see the Settings ⚙️ from home, you've likely lost me.

But at the same time, when I'm low on executive function, I need a way to skip the minutiae and just Get It Done.

Users like me need Both.

Show thread💡𝚂𝗆𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗆𝖺𝗇 𝙰𝗉𝗉𝗌📱Dec 28, 2023
@PavelASamsonov
One of the things I really hate about Windows is their obsession with "hide details from the user". The user is having an issue and is trying to find where it is, but you've buried it somewhere (probably in a hidden directory to boot) - give me a map with an X marks the spot or SOMETHING damn you! Especially when your damn trouble-shooter says "no issues found" (need to give your trouble-shooter a map as well)