Book Reading #51: Living With Complexity

Chapter 1
Summary
The first chapter serves as an introduction to complexity. Norman differentiates between things being complex (state of the world, the tasks we do and the tools we use) and the idea of things being complicated (the psychological state of a person attempting to understand, use or interact with something in the world). He discusses keys to coping with complexity, he brings up how some complicated systems occur as a result of poor design and he provides several examples of how we like complexity in certain instances (like when we already know a lot about the topic or where complexity truly seems appropriate). He also mentions that one way to measure complexity is by the amount of time it takes to learn and master a task (10,000 hours).

Discussion
This was a good first chapter on complexity. I think one of the most interesting things Norman points out is how musical instruments can be just as damaging to the hands as using a computer can be, but only computer companies tend to be sued for such injuries.

Chapter 2
Summary
In chapter 2 Norman brings up the idea of the conceptual model (the underlying belief structure held by a person about how something works), and how it helps to simplify the complexities of different systems. Norman discusses “featuritis,” adding more and more features, and explains how complexity is in the mind of the beholder. He also discuses how simpler looking does not always equate to simpler to use and how users tend to prefer an intermediate level of complexity.

Discussion
I liked the example he provided about how we as shoppers might take two items (like two types of toasters) and compare their features. Like he says, we’ve probably all done this. Usually I compare the features and the prices and ask myself if the additional features are worth the extra money. That’s what gets me thinking about whether I really need those extra features or not. Looks like I need to take that way of choosing an item one step further and really just think about what I need and not what has more knobs and buttons.