Simplicity v.s Complexity 2

Simplicity contributes to visceral design, because designs that look simple can attract a person by how many buttons it has. That automatically tells a person how the design would behave with them. If the design has only two buttons, the person will know that it can only do a few things, which might be exactly what the person is looking for in a product. Simplicity also contributes to reflective design, because anyone who is seen with a product that looks simple to use can say that that person is a simple person who doesn’t like things that are extravagant.

Complexity contributes to visceral design by a person that likes to have products that have many functions and buttons would like the product just by the way it looks. It can contribute to behavioral design, because if it has a lot of buttons, then it has a lot of functions, which is what the person wants. Reflective design contributes with complexity, because people seen with complex products are seen as complex people, or people who are in business and are too busy to have many products that have only one function. It is better for them to have an “all-in-one” product.

“Complex products are only good when that is what the user is looking for. Most of the time they are inappropriate and frustrating for the user. Some users my take pride in the fact that their product is complicated and they are still able to operate it. I think the majority of the time simplicity is the way to go. It is easy to understand and operate. It is especially important when the product does crucial functions that need to be easily understood.”-Keenan

This passage makes a good point about how it depends on the person to want a product to be complex or simple. It explains why is it that people choose one over the other, which makes their decision based on visceral, behavioral or reflective design.

“People often buy stuff just for looks or something cool that it can do instead of other important features. I think that complexity is not always the best thing, but it seems like everything is becoming more complex in today's society.”-Evan

I think that Evan is right about products that are complex is what everybody wants these days. Just to have something that has so many functions even though they are not going to get used, it is still good to have it there in case if one day the person decides to use it.