On Design Constraints



Matt Gemmell on Constraints:

The most egregious example of a terminal constraint is the constraint of choice, and we see it in every electronics store. Devices littered with ports, switches and throwaway features. PC-Card slots, VGA connectors and modem ports can actually still be found. Internal optical drives, banks of USB ports, and ethernet jacks. Kickstands, and even a stylus. They look like choices for the user, but they're actually choices that weren't made by the designers.

The result is products that are riddled with cancer of the compromise. Yet our industry lionises the accompanying spec-sheets. Look at all these failures of imagination and commitment and judiciousness!

This mirror's Apple Designed by Apple ads, specifically the slides about "confusing abundance with choice."

Every product contains design compromises and the tough part is finding the right mix for a mass marketed product. Not everyone has the same needs from products, so criticism is often fair. At the same time, however, people should be more critical of products taking the easy way out by including the kitchen sink.