Comments on: More Noise Is Better

By: Sam Royama

Sam Royama — Mon, 16 Feb 2004 20:07:09 +0000

One factor I think might play a significant role in this area of design is the amount of overt thought a user gives to any particular design. If a user is asked or made to think about the interface they are using, then they may “perceive” more problems than there actually are.

Users noticed the lack of noise given by a vacuum cleaner. The cue gives the users an opportunity to say “Hey, why is my vacuum so quiet?” One assumed answer is “not very powerful”.

So this begs the question: is good design invisible or transparent? If the user never has to question the interface, perhaps it is doing its job - allowing the user to interact with the product effortlessly.

By: Ste

Ste — Mon, 16 Feb 2004 17:48:19 +0000

I think “good design” to some extent is a generational thing. What many professionals see as good design (good use of white space and typography with images used sparingly for effect and to add meaning), others see as overly simplistic. At times this can become quite frustrating. (I’ve had bosses that want to see more “movement and excitement” on homepages that already felt to me cluttered and busy.) Oddly, my own mother sometimes prefers amateurish websites simply because they have cute animated gifs or photos of kittens. Sometimes I wonder if the whole of my design education should have focused more on implementing photos of kittens into everything I create …

By: Jonathan Hicks

Jonathan Hicks — Mon, 16 Feb 2004 17:22:09 +0000

Absolutely. I’m colloborating with a group of web developers, who have designed (in my view) an excellent site for themselves. Its very minimal, but well laid out, with whitespace in the right areas, attention to leading etc. For people who claimed not to be designers, I think they’ve surpassed themselves.

However, their client feedback has all been the same. Rather than praising its clarity and readibility its “too white, not enough imagery or colour, not enough ‘going on’ “. The perception was that very little time or money had been spent on it. Shame!