UX Design And The War on User IQš»š
Why you should beat your TV at tic-tac-toe every once in a while
Our weird, chaotic world is making us perpetually busy. We have school, work, activities, home, family, self-improvement and side projects and a never-ending list of things to think about and take care of. We simply have no time to do everything the hard way anymore. I for one feel completely spent by 11 PM every night.
Does anyone at all do calculations on paper anymore? Ever noticed how kids at universities take photos of the board instead of actually listening and taking notes? how many times did you give up on something you wanted to learn after a few lessons?
See a pattern?
We hardly use our brains anymore. But this is not a conspiracy theory article, I promise š.
No, I promise. Iām just discussing how the UX fundamentals we take as rules may not be the best for our users.
A UX Designerās Job is to Build Products that Make Your Life Easier.
Thatās the truth. The core of this job is to make everything from sitting in a chair to managing your taxes simple as cake.
In short, we think about every single person who may use our product and try to cater to every need they have, and eliminate each problem they could face. And this is the problem.
As a natural result of this, UX design could actually be making users less smart š³. Itās logic, the less you train the brain, the less sharp it gets.
Friction or No Friction?
I have a question that I constantly ask myself at workā¦do you think that adding a bit of friction to a user experience will be as disastrous as all UX books and fundamental principles make it sound like? Will you be willing to try a challenging product with a lot of features if itās free or will you simply buy one with better usability? (easier to use?)
Fun friction š¾
People love video games. And as a gamer, a challenging product always felt like a boss battle I just had to finish. You donāt win anything in video games, but the sense of accomplishment and the gameplay itself are enough to make any gamer spend hours and days trying to conquer a single game.
Do you believe that any sort of product that is challenging yet fun will be interesting for users? I think Duolingo is a great example. It does not ask you to dump hours into it every day and itās gamified quite beautifully to the point that users actually like to use it.
Where and How to Add Friction
I really think that we should include some friction in digital products where itās necessary. You donāt have to ask them to do Calculus problems, but find the sweet spot where you can add a bit more brain work without rendering the product an enigma to your users.
Example 1: A type of parent control on a teensā phones that asks the kid to solve a riddle to be able to play a game or launch youtube. If they really want it they have to flex their brains a bit.
Example 2: A Netflix lock that forces you to beat the software at a game like tic-tac-toe after a set time of uninterrupted watching. Add simple, instant rewards that stop users from lashing out at you. Like unlocking some content or revealing a secret power-user code that only works for them.
Possibilities are endless, but please donāt ask people to do things like that before a call or something. Choose the time and place wisely.
Itās down in history
š¾In the book Sapiens, it states that our brains are actually smaller than our hunter-gatherer ancestorsā brains because we donāt use our problem-solving skills as frequently anymore. I agree with a few things in that book, and this is one of them. When you donāt solve problems on a daily basis, your ability to think creatively gets weaker and weaker.
Conclusion
ā”ļøI think that psychology should be applied here; some challenge should be put in the right products, in the right time to keep us thinking and solving problems as we go about our days. So sorry Mr.Krug, I will make them think. But Iāll make sure itās not where theyāll hate me for it.
