Designing for Experienced Simplicity. Why Analytic and Imagined Simplicity Fail in Design of Assistive Technology

Abstract

This paper uses the design of assistive technology for elderly people as a case for exploring why analytic or imagined simplicity often end up as complicated and incomprehensible in use. Our claim is that building on mastery and context is more important than objective guidelines on simplicity. Rather than relying solely on context-detached principles that cannot guarantee simplicity in use, we introduce the term experienced simplicity as a way of shifting focus from how designers shape the design, to how users experience the design. Finally, we present and discuss five design implications for experienced simplicity.