Forcing Decisions vs. Allowing Choice March 2
Okay, here’s a quick one on design principles for the impatient readers out there. : ) Actually, it’s just one design principle. But it’s a pretty important one.
When you present the user with a choice, you force them to make a decision. Choices are generally good, but forcing decisions is bad. And the more choices the user has to make, the more time they spend weighing decisions and the less time they spend actually using your software for its purpose.
If you’ve ever had to deal with a waiter asking too many questions when you haven’t even opened the menu yet, you might recognize this problem. Good software, like a good waiter, lets you think at your own pace and in your own order — and is immediately ready to grant your requests once you’re ready to make them.
And for the love of Woz, don’t force a choice over something trivial. I swear, I’ve seen apps that pop up alert dialogs asking “Do you want me to put an alias to myself in the Dock?”. Thank you… you’ve interrupted my thought process to make me consider an action which, normally, can be done almost without thinking about it.