Some things aren't meant to be usable
My wife and I were watching Children of Men on DVD the other night, and something occurred to me (don't worry, this isn't a movie blog, so no spoilers ahead). Something about the beginning impressed me: the background story (it's set in near future) was laid out by well placed news stories, clippings, conversations, and other subtle cues. Unlike most Hollywood movies these days, you had to absorb the background material; it wasn't expounded by a mini-movie or all-knowing voice-over.Then it hit me: from a usability standpoint, that was a terrible approach. If this were a website, I'd want the audience to understand the background material as quickly and easily as possible, and a voice-over is perfect for that. On to realization #2: some things aren't meant to be easy. Good writing is a perfect example. As kids (ok, probably as adults, too) we too often want the Clif Note version of everything, something quick and easy to digest. The problem is, it's too easy. Shakespeare, for example, is hard to get through in the 21st century. The language is difficult and, even as an English speaker, there's something very foreign about it. In my experience, though, that difficulty forces us to think, to listen in different ways, and to use our minds.
Of course, this isn't a crack against usability. It's just an observation that some things (art being one of them) probably shouldn't be easy to use. A good website design, meant to convey information, shouldn't make the user think too much, but that doesn't mean we should make everything in life easier to use and more efficient. Some things should make us think, or we're all just going to get dumber and dumber (and, not to be cynical, but I'm not sure that isn't already happening).
Dr. Pete
· Friday, June 8I've honestly been afraid to watch that one, as it might seem to close to the truth, kind of like my friend from Oklahoma who refused to watch King of the Hill.
Dan
· Monday, July 9Totally agreed on all points, actually. That CoM doesn't pander to the audience with a voice-over is one of my favorite things about the film.
AL
· Friday, June 8Speaking of getting dumber, have you seen that hilarious movie Idiocracy?
Something tells me the plot won't be far from the truth :)