Living with Complexity: Why Complexity Is Necessary
Tags: #design #technology #psychology #user experience #simplicity #complexity
Authors: Donald A. Norman
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Overview
In “Living with Complexity,” I argue that complexity is not the enemy; confusion is. While the modern world relies on sophisticated, interconnected systems, good design can make these systems understandable and even enjoyable. This book explores the nature of complexity, examining why it is both necessary and often desirable, and provides a framework for managing complexity in design and in our daily lives. I introduce the concept of “social signifiers,” clues embedded in the environment and the behavior of others that help us navigate complex situations. From the arrangement of items on a silversmith’s workbench to the placement of paths on a college campus, social signifiers provide insights into how people actually use and interact with the world. This book also examines the role of conceptual models, the underlying belief structures people form about how things work. Good design should provide clear conceptual models, making it easier for people to understand how to use a product or service. This is especially important for complex systems where the underlying mechanisms are hidden from view. I discuss practical design techniques like modularization, automation, forcing functions, and “nudges” that can simplify interactions and reduce cognitive load. I also explore the psychology of waiting, offering principles for designing waiting experiences that are more pleasant and efficient. Throughout the book, I emphasize the need for a human-centered approach to design, one that acknowledges the complexities of human behavior and the importance of creating systems that are tolerant, forgiving, and supportive. Taming complexity requires a partnership between those who design and those who use the resulting systems, a partnership based on clear communication and an understanding of both human capabilities and the nature of complex systems.
Book Outline
1. Living with Complexity
Complexity is a natural part of the world, not inherently good or bad. Our modern world is built upon and thrives on the sophisticated interconnectedness of complex systems. The issue isn’t complexity itself, but rather when complexity becomes needlessly confusing, making us feel powerless to understand or control it.
Key concept: “New stuff that doesn’t work very well or that works in mysterious, unknown ways.” This definition, though humorous, captures the common sentiment that technology is often confusing and unreliable. This is not inherently due to complexity itself, but rather poor design.
2. Simplicity Is in the Mind
Simplicity is not the opposite of complexity. Complexity is a fact of life, while simplicity is a mental state achieved through understanding. The goal of good design is to make complex systems understandable, not to eliminate complexity. Often, perceived simplicity in a device or system comes at the cost of increased hidden complexity for the designer or engineer.
Key concept: “Every application has an inherent amount of irreducible complexity. The only question is who will have to deal with it, the user or the developer (programmer or engineer).” This statement by Larry Tesler, a pioneer in human-computer interaction, highlights a fundamental principle of design.
3. How Simple Things Can Complicate Our Lives
Simple things can become complicated when they exist in many variations, each with different operating principles or cultural conventions. The abundance of simple choices and decisions can create a constant undercurrent of stress in our daily lives. Examples like passwords, door locks, and even salt and pepper shakers demonstrate the need to manage complexity, even in seemingly mundane tasks.
Key concept: “Put the knowledge in the world.” This simple idea is a powerful tool for managing complexity. By placing information and cues in the environment, we reduce the burden on memory and make it easier for people to understand and use complex systems.
4. Social Signifiers
Social signifiers are cues provided by the behavior of others that help us navigate complex situations. They can be deliberate, like painted lines on roads, or unintentional, like worn paths across a field, revealing desired behavior. Good design should leverage social signifiers to aid understanding and create smooth, sociable interactions.
Key concept: “Social signifiers” are clues provided by the behavior of others that help us navigate complex, potentially confusing environments. This can be as simple as following a crowd to find a popular restaurant or observing wear and tear on a device to determine how to use it.
5. Design in Support of People
Designers need to understand that their intended users are not always the same as the engineers and technical experts who dominate the technology industry. We need more empathy in design, systems that are tolerant of human error and responsive to unexpected events. Desire lines are an example of how observing real-world behavior can provide valuable insights for improving design.
Key concept: “Desire lines” are paths created by people walking across open spaces, often in defiance of paved walkways. They are a powerful indicator of how people actually behave, as opposed to how designers intended them to behave.
6. Systems and Services
Systems and services are often treated as separate entities, but in reality, they are deeply intertwined. Both products and services can be considered as providing services to the user, and both involve complex systems of interactions. Good service design requires a holistic, systemic approach, taking into account not just the customer’s experience, but also the experiences and needs of the service providers.
Key concept: “Service blueprinting” is a method for diagramming the various interactions and touchpoints involved in a service experience. It helps visualize the complex systems and multiple actors involved, both frontstage and backstage.
7. The Design of Waits
Waiting is a ubiquitous part of modern life, and although often unavoidable, it can be a source of frustration and anxiety. There are a number of design principles that can be applied to make waits more bearable, including providing feedback and explanations, managing expectations, providing distractions, and ensuring fairness in the process.
Key concept: “Six Design Principles for Waiting Lines:
- Provide a conceptual model.
- Make the wait seem appropriate.
- Meet or exceed expectations.
- Keep people occupied.
- Be fair.
- End strong, start strong.” These principles are based on an understanding of human psychology and provide practical ways to mitigate the frustration and anxiety associated with waiting.
8. Managing Complexity
This chapter summarizes the key principles and tools for managing complexity in design. Signifiers, structure, modularization, automation, forcing functions, nudges, and learning aids are all important tools for making complex systems understandable and usable. Good design requires a partnership between those who design and those who use the system, with each fulfilling their respective roles.
Key concept: “Divide and conquer” is an effective strategy for managing complexity, both for designers and for those who use complex systems. By breaking down a task into smaller, understandable modules, it becomes easier to learn and master.
9. The Challenge
There is a continual tension between the desire for simplicity and the demand for powerful, feature-rich products. Designers face challenges from both the sales force, who often prioritize features over usability, and from technology reviewers who tend to be technology enthusiasts with little understanding of the needs of the average person. Ultimately, living with complex technology requires a partnership between designers and users. Designers need to focus on creating understandable, usable systems, while users need to be willing to invest the time and effort to learn and master the systems.
Key concept: “Living with technology is a partnership between the designers and us…The designers must provide structure, effective communication, and a learnable, sociable interaction. We who use the results must be willing to take the time to learn the principles and underlying structure, to master the necessary skills. We are in a partnership with designers.”
Essential Questions
1. What is the central problem with modern technology, and what is the proposed solution?
The true culprit is not complexity, but confusion. Complexity is inherent in the rich tapestry of the world, especially in the systems and social structures that we’ve created. However, it is poor design that makes these complex systems needlessly complicated and confusing to use. Good design can tame complexity by providing clear conceptual models, effective communication, and a structure that is aligned with human cognitive abilities.
2. Is the goal of design simply to make everything simpler, and why or why not?
Simplicity, as it is often perceived (fewer buttons, fewer features), is not the goal. People desire powerful, feature-rich devices that can handle a wide range of tasks. What they truly crave is usability and understandability. This can be achieved through well-designed complexity that provides a good conceptual model, clear feedback, and intuitive interactions.
3. What are social signifiers, and why are they important in the context of design?
Social signifiers, often overlooked in traditional design approaches, play a crucial role in our understanding and navigation of the world. They are powerful cues, both deliberate and unintentional, that guide our behavior and help us make sense of complex situations. By understanding and leveraging these social cues, designers can create more intuitive and user-friendly systems.
4. What is a conceptual model, and why is it crucial for designing usable systems?
A good conceptual model is essential for making complex systems understandable. It provides a simplified representation of how something works, allowing users to form expectations, make predictions, and take appropriate actions. Good design should provide clear, accurate conceptual models that are aligned with the user’s understanding of the world. This requires careful consideration of the user’s mental model and the task to be accomplished.
5. How does designing for services differ from designing for products, and what are the key considerations for good service design?
Designing for services requires a different approach than designing for products. Services often involve complex systems of interconnected actors and processes, both visible and invisible to the customer. Good service design requires a holistic, systemic approach that considers the needs of both customers and service providers, ensuring smooth and efficient operations behind the scenes while delivering a positive, understandable experience to the customer.
Key Takeaways
1. Good design is sociable design.
Good design goes beyond mere functionality. It should evoke positive emotions, build trust, and provide a sense of control and understanding. This is especially important for complex systems, where confusion and anxiety can easily arise. By incorporating elements of emotional design, we can make technology more appealing, engaging, and ultimately more effective.
Practical Application:
An AI system designed to diagnose medical conditions should not only provide accurate results, but also present those results in a way that is understandable to both doctors and patients. This might involve visualizations, explanations of the reasoning process, and the ability to ask clarifying questions. The system should be designed to support collaboration between doctors and patients, facilitating shared understanding and informed decision-making.
2. Clear conceptual models are key to understanding.
Conceptual models are simplified representations of how things work. They help people understand, use, and troubleshoot systems. Designers should strive to create clear, consistent conceptual models that align with users’ existing mental models, minimizing cognitive load and facilitating understanding.
Practical Application:
In designing a voice assistant, it is essential to consider the user’s mental model of how a conversation should flow. This includes understanding the types of questions people ask, how they phrase those questions, and their expectations for responses. By aligning the system’s behavior with the user’s mental model, we can create a more natural and intuitive interaction.
3. Manage complexity, don’t eliminate it.
People crave simplicity, but they also desire powerful, capable tools. The challenge for designers is to manage complexity, not to eliminate it. Good design should provide access to a wide range of functions while making the system easy to understand and use, even when things go wrong.
Practical Application:
A chatbot designed for customer service should be able to handle a wide range of inquiries, including unexpected questions and requests. It should also be able to recognize when it cannot provide a satisfactory answer and seamlessly transfer the user to a human agent. Clear communication of what is happening and why is essential to maintain trust and reduce frustration.
4. Leverage social signifiers to guide behavior.
Social signifiers, like reviews, ratings, and popularity rankings, can be powerful tools for influencing behavior and helping people make decisions. Designers can leverage these cues to create more effective recommendation systems, guide users towards desired actions, and enhance the overall user experience.
Practical Application:
A recommendation engine for online shopping could leverage not only purchase history, but also browsing behavior, search queries, and even time spent viewing specific items. By analyzing the trails left behind by users, the system can make more accurate and personalized recommendations, enhancing the shopping experience.
5. Services are systems, and they require systemic design.
Services, like products, require careful design. However, services often involve more complex systems and interactions, requiring a systemic approach to design. Good service design should consider the needs of both customers and service providers, manage bottlenecks, provide clear feedback, and ensure a positive experience for everyone involved.
Practical Application:
An AI-powered project management tool could be designed to support both individual tasks and the overall workflow of a project, allowing users to easily switch between different levels of detail, manage interruptions, and collaborate with team members. The system should provide a clear overview of the project’s progress, highlight potential bottlenecks, and offer suggestions for improving efficiency.
Suggested Deep Dive
Chapter: Social Signifiers
This chapter provides a unique perspective on how people navigate complexity in the real world, drawing on insights from diverse fields and offering practical applications for AI and human-computer interaction.
Memorable Quotes
Living with Complexity. 1
“The guiding motto in the life of every natural philosopher should be, Seek simplicity and distrust it.”
Living with Complexity. 12
“Why is our technology so complex?” people continually ask me. “Why can’t things be simple?” Why? Because life is complex.
Simplicity Is in the Mind. 46
“Every application has an inherent amount of irreducible complexity. The only question is who will have to deal with it, the user or the developer (programmer or engineer).”
How Simple Things Can Complicate Our Lives. 68
“Complex things do not have to be confusing. Similarly, confusing things do not need to be complex.”
Social Signifiers. 89
“Social signifiers” are clues provided by the behavior of others that help us navigate complex, potentially confusing environments.
Comparative Analysis
“Living with Complexity” shares common ground with works like “The Design of Everyday Things” (also by Norman) and “The Paradox of Choice” by Barry Schwartz, emphasizing the importance of understanding human cognition and behavior in design. While Schwartz focuses on the downsides of excessive choice, Norman argues that complexity itself is not the problem, but rather poor design that makes complex systems needlessly confusing. Norman’s concept of “social signifiers” provides a unique lens for understanding how people navigate complexity in the real world, drawing on insights from fields like biology, anthropology, and computer science. In contrast to books on AI that focus on technical aspects, Norman emphasizes the social and psychological dimensions of interacting with complex technology. He advocates for a “sociable” design approach, where systems are designed to be tolerant, forgiving, and supportive of human needs and limitations.
Reflection
Norman’s “Living with Complexity” is a compelling call for a more human-centered approach to design in an increasingly complex technological world. While his arguments are persuasive, he sometimes oversimplifies the trade-offs between simplicity and functionality. The reality is that not all complexity can be tamed through good design. Some tasks are inherently complex, requiring significant effort to master. Nonetheless, his emphasis on clear communication, good conceptual models, and the role of social signifiers provides a valuable framework for designing more usable and understandable systems. His focus on the user experience, especially in the context of services and waiting, is particularly relevant in today’s world of ubiquitous technology and interconnected systems. The book is a valuable read for anyone involved in designing or implementing technology, reminding us that the ultimate goal is not to eliminate complexity, but to make it manageable and even enjoyable for the people who use it.
Flashcards
What is the fundamental difference between complexity and simplicity?
Complexity is a fact of the world; simplicity is a mental state.
What are social signifiers?
Clues embedded in the environment and the behavior of others that help us navigate complex situations.
What is a conceptual model?
The underlying belief structure a person holds about how something works.
What is a forcing function?
A constraint that forces the desired behavior, simplifying interactions by eliminating the need for understanding.
What is modularization in design?
Dividing a complex structure into smaller, more manageable modules.
What does it mean to “put knowledge in the world”?
Providing information and cues in the environment to reduce the burden on memory.
What is the most effective way to explain how to use a complex product?
Short, focused video demonstrations that show operations in context.
What is human-centered design?
A design approach that prioritizes the needs and experiences of the people who will use the system.