
What would such interfaces look like? First, they’d respond proactively to a user’s preferences. For instance, an app might ask a first-time user which set of icons they find easier to understand. Interfaces would also be patient and instructive, clearly and verbosely prompting users what to do next if they seem confused. (If a user spends an inordinate amount of time on a single screen, an animation might prompt them where to click, while a voice explains what to do next.) They’d be consistent: Anything clickable or button-like would be rendered the same way. And they’d be responsive, stripping out interface elements or adding them back according to the demonstrated aptitude of the user, the same way a web page might if someone accesses it from an iPhone instead of from a PC.
It’s not a bad thing to work like Turbotax — it’s simple, usable software that makes it easy for folks to file their taxes — my issue with the request is it expects good UX to be effortless, as if it can be added on top of development rather than serve as the driving force behind development.