In the UX field, it’s essential to dissect what exactly makes certain devices user friendly as opposed to those that are not intuitive and confusing. In this case, I’m talking about the OS that Apple has put into place with their Apple mobile devices. What makes them so easy to use? Why can someone who has never seen an iPhone, (or iPad for that matter) pick it up and easily navigate through the system?
Well, it all begins with options. In the user experience field it is understood that the more options a user has at one given time, the likelihood of them becoming confused increases exponentially. Certain tasks can become daunting if they’re overloaded with options or if the user interface isn’t easily understood. The problem is, as devices become increasingly complex with options, whether it be the addition of the internet, email, text messages, or apps (the list goes on…and will always go on) the user interface and experience of these devices becomes more complex to interact with and pick up for the first time. This is where Apple products shine compared to its competitors…
At any given time on an Apple product, you are only given a few options (more often only one) and a back button (the home button at the bottom). This keeps information organized and easy to navigate without confusing the user. Instead of some devices that give you drop down menus all over the place, Apple instead creates processes that usually only have two options: Move forward into the action or use the home button to go back to the main screen. This simplifies tasks into easily dissectible processes without confusing the user. Other mobile devices try to combine tasks but instead of making the user experience easier, it’s daunting and confusing to someone who’s never used the device.
Take the video below for example. A two and a half year old is easily navigating the iPad OS with intuitive hand gestures and the simplified ‘forward or back’ control system. Entering any type of action isn’t as daunting when you know that with one touch of a button, you’re back where you originally started. This cannot be said with most of the competitor’s handheld devices. For example, although a Blackberry has an abundant amount of options, they were often nestled into some dropdown that make them difficult to find. It shouldn’t be a matter of remembering where to find a particular option but instead, having it presented to you only when you need it.
Here’s to keeping it simple…if only other companies in this world would follow suit, it might just be a much more intuitive place.
