While reading #1 here (which recommends using familiar user interface paradigms for learnability), I couldn't help thinking about Loewy's MAYA principle (most advanced yet acceptable) and this from Dieter Rams:
Things which are different simply in order to be different are seldom better, but that which is made to be better is almost always different.
We need to strike a balance, but would should keep Rams and Loewy in mind as we do so.
I just noticed that sometimes, my iPod Nano ignores my commands.
The play/pause button plays or pauses when you press it. A long press of the same button turns the iPod off. But what if my press is not quite long enough?
Well it turns out that the iPod is designed to ignore my ambiguous command, rather than risk doing the wrong thing. Did I mean "pause"? Or did I mean "switch off"? Interpreting this wrongly could be quite annoying.
So ignore me. It's a good thing sometimes.
