The level of control provided by a system should be related to the proficiency and experience levels of the people using the system.

William Lidwell
William Lidwell

The Director of Design at Stuff Creators Design in Houston and author of the best-selling design book, Universal Principles of Design.

Since, adding multiple methods of control increases the complexity of the system, the number of methods for any given task should be limited to two—one for beginners, and one for experts.

Beginners do best with a reduced amount of control, while experts do best with greater control. In other words, beginners benefit from structured interactions with minimal choices, typically supported by prompts, constraints, and ready access to help.

Experts, on the other hand, benefit from less structured interactions that provide more direct access to functions, bypassing the support devices of beginners.

Take away

When possible, we should always use a method that is equally simple and efficient for beginners and experts. Otherwise, provide methods specialized for beginners and experts.

Wanna know more? Follow the source!

The text above was taken and slightly edited from the following sources.

Universal Principles of Design

Universal Principles of Design (Book) by William Lidwell Kritina Holden

  • Design & Arts
  • Design Principles
  • UI Design
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