The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up and UI/UX Design

The first step in creating minimal interfaces and experiences

Finding space for content within our interfaces can be a real struggle. Even adding just an item or two to an existing interface can be a painful experience. So what do you do when you are having space issues? What do you do when you have simply run out of room?

In The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Marie Kondo helps people understand their relationships with their belongings, by asking a few simple questions, ranging from the rational to more emotional (the well known-”is this object sparking joy in my life?”). These are some of the probing questions she raises when deciding the fate of an item (with less emotional attachment):

What is the purpose of this object?
Has it fulfilled its purpose already?
Why did I get this thing?

Generally speaking, most successful products are not cluttering their interfaces with useless information or functionality. Almost everything can be justified and some miraculous spring cleaning to save the day is unrealistic. So the first question to ask yourself is, What is the purpose of this page and it’s different (individual) components? What do I need on this page to achieve the end goal?

This probing should investigate all elements of a page. Take a look at both that extra paragraph of copy and that form that could potentially go somewhere more appropriate. (A terrific article on a content first approach when designing https://bit.ly/2rs3oZ1.)

Once you have determined what is important and necessary, the appropriate space creating solution is usually clear. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of options. Creating a new page/route, using a modal, or display toggles are just a few of the helpful solutions out there.

Modals and other space saving are great but they can enable you to avoid some of the more difficult decisions, which in turn define your experience and flow. Ask yourself the hard questions: What am I trying to achieve with this interface? Do I need all this information or stuff? Is this the only way to do this?

Don’t get lost. Its as easy as sorting through your closet :) .

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