I recently read an article from Joel Spolsky called, “Choices = Headaches“, where he claims the more choices the user has the less usable the software is. At the heart of his argument is this: the more choices a user has, the more confused they get. Essentially for each choice added, the likelihood of each choice given being used is lessened.

I love this idea and you can see it perpetuated in the best and most popular applications and services on the web. Web Services like Flickr, YouTube, Craigslist, Google, etc were built on this idea. That’s why ‘Less is More’ has become an important mantra for a lot of niche startups. In many senses it is more - it creates more value and user experiences are more efficient.

Joel discusses the notion that most software shops and any industry really - be it retail or consulting - believe that a plethora of options is beneficial to the customer. Joel, and I, disagree. He notes,

“This highlights a style of software design shared by Microsoft and the open source movement, in both cases driven by a desire for consensus and for “Making Everybody Happy,” but it’s based on the misconceived notion that lots of choices make people happy, which we really need to rethink.”

Futhermore it is noticeable in other places, like hardware - the iPod’s success is derived from simplicity. Apple in general provides minimalistic and simplified hardware which is a big factor in their success in the last five years.

Can this be used outside technology? It sure can! Joel is right - this does need rethought throughout many business areas. The reason this idea is often implemented, I think, is twofold.

First marketers love the Goldilocks theory. Consumers don’t want the low-end (cold porridge) and they don’t want the high-end (hot porridge). Most of the time they will settle for the middle (warm porridge). This has become a basis of price versioning for years and the medium size is priced at a point where the most money is made on the margin. This is great psychological marketing. McDonald’s does it; Starbucks does; everyone does it.

Secondly, and worse, marketers take it too far to the point they decide - if we provide more choices than our competitor, the customer will choose us. This has been a haunting problem for Microsoft over the years and its beginning to catch up to them. The learning curve for, say, Microsoft Office is far more than that for Google Docs.

The 80/20 rule can be applied to much more than the software industry. It should be taught to marketers, designers, salespersons, and all businesspeople.

Eighty Percent of your customers will use Twenty Percent of your offerings. 80% want the same cell phone package. 80% of your visitors read only two of the ten sections of your website. 80% of your customers order the Tacos Supreme. So why waste everyone’s time with the extra sixty percent?

Sometimes limited choices is beneifical, especially in software, but applicable in many areas. Does your company provide too many choices? Sometimes it’s better for both parties to focus if less choices are provided. Maybe you should consolidate some of your pricing plans… Maybe you should remove a few features from your software… Maybe you should rethink your next website redesign…

Is Less More? I think so. Do you?

Tags: Marketing, Design, Development, Business, Choice, Less Is More