Simplicity is not overrated, just misunderstood

“Features win over simplicity, even when people realize that it is accompanied by more complexity,” is what Don Norman states in his “Simplicity is Highly Overrated” article.
He explains that users say they want simplicity in products, but they don’t really mean it. Instead, what they really want are features, “even if the features confuse more than they help.”
Usability and user experience design is all about making things simple and easy to use. I never would’ve expected such a contradictory statement coming from someone who co-founded the Nielsen and Norman group, a firm that offers usability consulting, training seminars and research reports. This statement puts a dagger into the back of usability and user experience design.

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