Wikipedia

Interface bloat

Interface bloat (also called fat interfaces by Bjarne Stroustrup and Martin Fowler)[citation needed] is a phenomenon in software design where an interface incorporates too many (often unnecessary) operations or elements, causing issues such as difficulty navigating and usability.[1][2][3][4]

An image depicting three red buttons of importance, clustered with tertiary or otherwise unnecessary buttons.
An example of interface bloat

Interface bloat is an example of an anti-pattern.[citation needed] One might consider using visitor pattern, Adapter Pattern, or interface segregation instead.

Definition

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While the term bloat can refer to a variety of terms in software design,[3] Interface bloat refers to the phenomenon where the user interface (UI) becomes unnecessarily complex and overloaded with features, options, or elements that can overwhelm users.[2] This often leads to a cluttered experience, decreased usability, and increased difficulty for users to accomplish their tasks efficiently.[1][4] Interface bloat can arise from various sources, including the addition of excessive functionality without proper consideration of user needs, the merging of disparate features, or pressure to include numerous options to cater to a broader audience.[4]

Key Points About Interface Bloat

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1. User Experience Impact:

  • Interface bloat can negatively affect the overall user experience by making applications harder to navigate, understand, and use. Users may find it difficult to locate primary functions amid secondary or tertiary options.

2. Cognitive Overload:

  • The concept of cognitive overload suggests that too much information or too many choices can hinder a user's ability to process information effectively. When interfaces are bloated, users may experience decision fatigue, where the overwhelming number of options leads to decreased motivation to engage with the product.
  • A reference on cognitive overload is the work of Sweller (1988), which discusses how cognitive capacity is limited and that excess information can disrupt learning and task performance (Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive Load During Problem Solving: Effects on Learning).

3. Increased Learning Curve:

  • A bloated interface may require users to invest more time in learning how to use an application, which can lead to frustration and abandonment of the product.

4. Design Trends and Solutions:

  • To combat interface bloat, designers prioritize minimalism, user-centered design principles, and iterative testing to ensure that features serve user needs rather than merely filling space.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Do Computers Have to Be Hard to Use?". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2024-11-09.
  2. ^ a b McGrenere, Joanna; Moore, Gale (15–17 April 2000). Graphics Interface. Montréal, Québec, Canada: Canadian Human-Computer Communications Society. pp. 187–196. ISBN 0-9695338-9-6. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  3. ^ a b Kaufman, Leah; Weed, Brad (1998-04-01). "Too much of a good thing? Identifying and resolving bloat in the user interface". CHI 98 Conference Summary on Human Factors in Computing Systems. CHI '98. New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery: 207–208. doi:10.1145/286498.286693. ISBN 978-1-58113-028-7.
  4. ^ a b c Akiki, Pierre; Bandara, Arosha; and Yu, Yijun (24–27 June 2013). "The Open University's repository of research publications regarding minimizing the bloat in enterprise applications Conference Item". Fifth ACM SIGCHI Symposium on Engineering Interactive Computing Systems. London, UK. S2CID 2935087 – via Semantic Scholar.
 

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