I would love for us tech folk to dip our toes in idea history, hermeneutics and rhetoric.
We need to think about the way we think and talk about the way we talk. I mean reflect on the state of things, instead of blindly increasing shareholder value. We glorify engagement, but we’re arguably glorifying how addictive our creations are.
What if apps maximized for less time spent, like help users just do their work and get on with living life?
When I work on web sites that deliver services I often picture users being in a hurry. People just want to get on with life, not live their lives within my server side rendered single page web app. :)
Today I used an automated delivery booth. At the end it reported in big letters: "you took your order in 2 minutes 12 seconds". Made me vividly remember the end-of-level screen in classic Doom. Maybe that's a good idea: make the session time prominently visible, to have an urge to optimize.
Well, I liked the end-of-level screen, but the rest of UI was not so new-user-friendly, especially not sleepy-new-user-friendly.
About half the time I was staring at the instruction "the box will unlock now" with the box in question still behind a closed door before trying to pull the door harder.
We need to think about the way we think and talk about the way we talk. I mean reflect on the state of things, instead of blindly increasing shareholder value. We glorify engagement, but we’re arguably glorifying how addictive our creations are.
What if apps maximized for less time spent, like help users just do their work and get on with living life?
When I work on web sites that deliver services I often picture users being in a hurry. People just want to get on with life, not live their lives within my server side rendered single page web app. :)