INTERACTION DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR INTERACTIVE ...

Principle: Simplicity
An iTV interface design must be easy to understand, regardless of the user’s
experience, knowledge, or current concentration level. Consumers tend to ignore designs
that have too many bells and whistles. Mullet and Sano argue that the benefits of
simplicity are functional as well as aesthetic in nature (1994):
Approachability. Simple designs can be rapidly apprehended and understood well
enough to support immediate use or invite further exploration.
Recognizability. Simple designs can be recognized more easily than their more
elaborate counterparts… they present less visual information to the viewer, and
are more easily assimilated, understood, and remembered.
Immediacy. Simple designs have a greater impact than complex designs, precisely
because they can be immediately recognized and understood with a minimum of
conscious effort.
Usability. Improving the approachability and memorability of a product…
[eliminating] unnecessary variation or detail make the variation that remains more
prominent and informative.
Achieving a simple design, which always works better for a broad audience, often
means reducing a design to its essence (Herigstad & Wichansky, 1998). Figure 5.22,
from the TV411 prototype developed at the 2004 AFI eTV workshop, presents good
examples of a simple interface that is easily understood at a glance.
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