Keep it simple, silly! #DP1
Design Principle #1: Keep it Simple, Silly!
Do you have a television remote control with you? If yes, take a good look at it. How many of those buttons do you really need? Do you struggle to find the OK button for the menu? Do you find yourself clueless about what that one button on the top right corner is supposed to do?
You might intuitively know this, but let me call it out for you. This is a bad design. Most users come looking for a maximum of 6-7 features yet have to navigate through unnecessary complexity to find them.
What are those essential options? Power On/Off, Volume Up/Down, Channel Up/Down, Mute On/Off, Menu, Exit/Confirm/Return, and Input Source. The other buttons either remain untouched or are rarely used, yet the main features are jumbled among them, leaving the user to figure them out.
No wonder people are opting for universal remotes and apps. If you own a TV, you might be aware of this. If not, take a look at this one: Universal TV Remote Control
10 million+ downloads. That's the number of people struggling with their remotes. Now think, why can't TV manufacturers simplify this? It looks so straightforward, right?
My suspicion is that in the name of providing all the features their engineers have devised, they are unnecessarily complicating the user experience. Maybe, displaying those buttons upfront is necessary for driving sales, but still, who's stopping them from finding an arrangement that works for both sales and UX?
My experience tells me that most designs fail primarily due to this reason. They over-complicate simple and straightforward experiences. While devising user experiences, designers often forget that the user is neither part of the engineering team nor interested in figuring out the product. Hence, it is important to resist the temptation to over-complicate and instead focus on refining and simplifying the user experience.
It is important to remind oneself: "Keep it simple, silly!"
PS: Some TV manufacturers and service providers are simplifying the UX now. Take the Amazon Firestick remote, for example.