For five years after 2010, the industry ignored Norman. We got "Ultra-Minimalism" (2013-2017). We got hidden gestures. We got "infinite scroll" that removed all boundaries. Users became frustrated. Click-through rates dropped.
Designers at Google (specifically the Search team) argued that any complexity increases churn. They pointed to metrics: if a user sees a complicated screen, they leave.
If you are designing a product today and you feel pressure to remove a feature because "it looks too busy," stop. Ask yourself: What would Norman in 2010 say? He would likely point to your design and ask, "Is this complexity necessary for the activity? If yes, have you provided a signifier? Have you created a conceptual model?"
Norman tells the story of Norman Long (Dan Byrd), a detached, sardonic high school student who is facing the impending death of his father (Richard Jenkins). To cope with the crushing weight of his reality, Norman adopts a fatalistic approach to life, deciding to forgo the social niceties of teenage existence. He is the "weird kid," the observer who sits in the back of the class, listening to indie folk music and quietly judging the world around him.
Norman 2010 !!top!! Jun 2026
For five years after 2010, the industry ignored Norman. We got "Ultra-Minimalism" (2013-2017). We got hidden gestures. We got "infinite scroll" that removed all boundaries. Users became frustrated. Click-through rates dropped.
Designers at Google (specifically the Search team) argued that any complexity increases churn. They pointed to metrics: if a user sees a complicated screen, they leave. norman 2010
If you are designing a product today and you feel pressure to remove a feature because "it looks too busy," stop. Ask yourself: What would Norman in 2010 say? He would likely point to your design and ask, "Is this complexity necessary for the activity? If yes, have you provided a signifier? Have you created a conceptual model?" For five years after 2010, the industry ignored Norman
Norman tells the story of Norman Long (Dan Byrd), a detached, sardonic high school student who is facing the impending death of his father (Richard Jenkins). To cope with the crushing weight of his reality, Norman adopts a fatalistic approach to life, deciding to forgo the social niceties of teenage existence. He is the "weird kid," the observer who sits in the back of the class, listening to indie folk music and quietly judging the world around him. We got "infinite scroll" that removed all boundaries
