May 14, 2008
4 Design Lessons from the Flip
We’ve noticed there becomes a point where the features in a product set no longer help the user, instead becoming a hindrance to its usage. Video camcorders reached that point, opening an opportunity for someone to come in with a better product that has only those essential features. By studying how the Flip takes advantage of this opportunity, we can all learn how to make better designs by doing more with less.
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3 Responses to “4 Design Lessons from the Flip”
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Amy: Thank you for posting this. I have for a long time wondered why the makers of software–the complicated kinds that tend to require months of study before use is effective–don’t make the software modular, so you load it in a really simple form and then add features when a project calls for more capability. Most people, for instance, want to do very simple stuff when it comes to photo editing, but they just give up when 112 different pallets and toolbars pop up all over the screen. I think there ought to be more of a “what do you want to do?” approach (as long as it doesn’t include things like the Microsoft paperclip wizzard guy).
(as long as it doesn’t include things like the Microsoft paperclip wizzard guy).
Hello, Tool.
I think in a lot of people’s minds “more is better” and “simple” has a bad connotation. This is what I’ve seen in the web design world so many times over the years and I’ve lost a lot of hair trying to fight those battles. I think now people are starting to realize that the value lies in how usable a tool is and how appropriate the features are.