Form or Function: The On-Going Debate Between Usability or Utility
I was listening to a few podcasts on TWiT where Paul T. and Jason C. were talking on various points of usability. The big ideas that stuck with me were 1) Paul stated that Microsoft had underestimated the ability of end-users to learn a new interface (speaking on Windows Mobile), and 2) Jason was debating on why so many websites and portals looked so much alike (speaking on the likenesses between AOL and Yahoo!).
I had simply filed those in the back of my filing cabinet to chew on, and then Dan posted an article over at BizTechTalk speaking on the interface and “findability”.
This really got me thinking again.
You see, I have really adopted the notion that a major metric of project management is end-user adoption. Overall, I can do everything right and if the culture or customer doesn’t adopt it - it’s a flop!
However, does this mean we can just throw up what the crowd wants regardless of quality? If the mob likes the product it’s a success?
The answer of course is, “No.” However, it is easy to become so focused on either form or function that we begin to sacrifice the overall vision of what it is we are trying to accomplish.
Jason, during the podcast, mentioned that many websites are now using the L.S.N. format for their portals, indicating a Logo, Search, News layout (from top to bottom respectively). He further goes on to state that it takes time and energy to retrain our minds to think a different way. In other words, we have grown accustomed to a sandwich being 2 pieces of bread, meat, lettuce, tomato, and some mayo or mustard.
What if I don’t like my sandwich this way? Well, that’s what’s being served, so eat it anyway?
In my humble opinion, the beauty of technology is it is so malleable. That is, it can be shaped, and re-shaped, to fit the situation. Is there now a huge trend in media consumption to provide a plethora of channels of choice for consumers to feast upon?
On the other hand, if I can’t “find” what I need, or something is not where I expect it to be, statistics show a large majority of consumers will move on in search of what they want, impatient and disatisfied.
Hmmm… is form or function the more important choice?
Google is a great example of function. I think all would agree the interface is spartan, but do you generally find what you need quickly? In other words, Google understands its mission is to provide a clear egress to another source; in other words, don’t get in the way of what I am looking for - enable me!
Most endpoints will be a little more rich in form. However, beauty for its own sake is a cardinal sin - at least in UI development.
For instance, YouTube’s homepage, I would argue, is on the edge of being too busy. However, it has some similar features a consumer might be used to such as a few navigation links at the top right, some tabs, and some general content. I would venture a guess, most people don’t make it past the top 1/3 of the page before they move on to another page. If that is the case, YouTube has indeed done their job on layout.
In summary, form and function play a vital role in “findability”. It is not sufficient to dismiss one or the other in a majority of situations. This being said, the creator must understand the goal of the content and design according to need of the customer rather than his or her own perceptions.
Ken Stewart’s blog, ChangeForge.com, focuses on the collision between the constantly changing worlds of business and technology. Ken is also the Director of Technology at Kearns Business Solutions.
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ChangeForge... a catalyst to affect the paradigm by Ken Stewart is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.changeforge.com. -
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