Comments on: The iPod Shuffle - Complex Simplicity

By: Ipod shuffle 3rd - Drawings for Ofer. « Bou.me

Ipod shuffle 3rd - Drawings for Ofer. « Bou.me — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:37:52 +0000

[...] http://www.thinkflowinteractive.com/2009/03/16/the-ipod-shuffle-complex-simplicity/ Published on Fri 13 Mar 09 at 8:26 in vrac , modified Thu 23 Apr 09 at 10:51 [...]

By: Button Madness

Button Madness — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:40:45 +0000

This article raises good points. One question on my mind which hasn't been directly raised, is what was wrong with the previous generation shuffles? How did Apple conclude that having 3 buttons on the headphone cord were better than 5 on the device? The decreased size/weight and playlist functions of the 3rd generation are not really important here, as they could have similarly been applied to the 2nd generation form factor without changing the controls. To the outside observer, it seems that Apple's agenda to "eliminate all buttons" for the sake of a better-looking and simpler-looking device has overridden the need for intuitive controls. I think that Apple looked at people using the existing shuffle and studied the frequency of use of each button. They then determined that certain functions were used much less, and that a trade-off could be made to eliminate some buttons. Those less frequented functions were relegated to more obscure stacked commands on a reduced button count. 2 buttons gone; mission accomplished. Unfortunately, simpler-looking doesn't equate to simpler to use. For those few people who use the less-frequented functions, it's a cognitive price to pay. For the majority who don't, there's no loss. Apple calculated that was a loss they could afford for making a simpler-looking and differentiated product (in order to maintain sales in a shrinking market).

By: Simon Johnson

Simon Johnson — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:54:25 +0000

I like the article because it raises questions, but leaves the conclusion to user-testing. I always like that user-testing moves the debate from good/bad design to what works and what doesn't.

I look forward to reading the complete review of the results of the exhaustive lab-based testing. Will Flow be also conducting contextual field-based research? I presume that it will be conducted in, at least, 10 different countries!

By: jon wyndham

jon wyndham — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:50:14 +0000

Of course, the real problem is that I have to use Apple's notoriously sh**e headphones...or go out and buy yet another pair of really nice sound-canceling headphones (which I paid £65 for) but now with a iPod Shuffle control...OR...get some adaptor to plug my lovely headphones into...probably for half as much as both the shuffle and the headphones. Talk about user un-friendliness. They got it right when they worked out that many people had systems with lots of peripherals and didn't want to replace all of it with an iMac...hence the mac mini. The new shuffle seems to have missed that little insight about how few people actually use the headphones that come with ipods.

By: martin

martin — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:16:49 +0000

I hope you will be installing exercise machines in the labs in order to evaluate in context. I don't buy your example of sitting on the train - a scenario where having a screen to navigate music is a pleasure, and where weight is a non-issue.

The shuffle is the bike, run, and gym ipod - where you can't read a screen, where multiple buttons are hard to distinguish by touch, in motion, and where the only choices you want or need are volume, skip a song you're tired of - and now - navigate to a playlist. The building of the playlist is outsourced to iTunes, which has a bigger screen than any ipod.

The shuffle is for when you don't even have your (i)phone with you, but just (house/locker) keys and water.

I'm convinced the move of the controls from the shuffle to the headphones is based on watching users *whilst moving*.

Multiple clicks seem complex, but anyone who's used quark in anger has double, triple and quadruple click wired into their muscle-memory. However, I agree that few users will find all nine controls easy to learn.

Looking forward to the test findings. Please include the subjects' heart-rates.