...Except When More is More

"Less is more" from a previous article is amended to simplicity vs. density for usability depends on the application ...

"Previously I made the case that, in interface design, less is more. But as with all design principles, the real answer is “it depends”. It depends on the context and type of information you are presenting to users as well as their goals and actions.

All information and interaction rich interfaces need to strike an appropriate balance between visual simplicity and information density. Visual simplicity keeps things clear and focused. Information density provides choices to match different user needs and behavioral patterns.

But many designers mistakenly associate visual simplicity with increased usability. For example, John Maeda recently compared the evolution of Yahoo’s home page to Google’s. He noted that over the years, Yahoo’s home page became more complex while Google essentially stayed the same. The catch, however, is that Google’s home page was and still is a search engine. Yahoo, on the other hand, always was a directory of online information (of which search was one part). As a result, the user goals for Yahoo’s home page and Google’s home page differ substantially and their relative ease of use cannot be judged based on visual simplicity alone."   continued ...   (Via Functioning Form)

Less is more, except ...