Is Being Intuitive The Single Most Important Quality For Hi-tech Gadgets?

Intuitive has been turned into a catchword among gadget designers

, journalists and users in no time at all, becoming one of the top adjectives to compliment a new hi-tech contraption. English language purists may like to raise the controversy of whether its application is even logical, arguing that intuitive refers to the skill of intuiting that is reserved for humans, so technical devices cannot really be described as such, but considering the preponderance of the word's new-found use their cause seems to have been lost. Indeed, this kind of comment can be heard so often and in so many contexts, from product launch presentations to online user reviews, that its meaning has expanded to incorporate quite a number of qualities and experiences.

What is meant by gadget geeks when they say intuitive is, of course, that the product is easy to operate and its features, both hardware and software, are obvious and plain to see, so it takes little or no time at all to get the hang of them. Intuitions may vary between individuals and generations, as they are used to doing and thinking about things differently, but there is no denying that a strong common denominator for all of them exists, too. To a large extent, human instincts and spontaneous reactions to devices are indeed the same, and here is where designers strive for maximum intuitiveness.

So, one thing is that critics and users have been sensitized to the idea of intuition in technology and it is a naturally important step for them to investigate this category when they approach new arrivals. Simply put, is has become to prominent to ignore.

Another thing is what is happening with the gadget market as a whole. For the last two decades or so, major players have been working day and night to refine their solutions and come up with functional and user-friendly devices. What worked just fine with customers twenty years ago is now more of a museum exhibit. Unwieldy and patently impracticable mobile phones have gradually transformed into sleek devices, not just richer in technology and functionality, but also incomparably easier to use, with better integrated address books, speed-dialing and hundreds of other features. Standards have clearly gone up and one direction which has been penetrated the most appears to be user-friendliness.

No wonder, consumer electronics companies make a point of simplifying and optimizing the user experience with their products, from PDAs to graphic tablets. The ultimate test is how big the knowledge gap is for target users between their current skills and the skills they need to succeed in operating a device. The dominant trend has been been towards minimizing or fully eliminating this gap to meet the challenge of satisfying the largest number of customers. It might look precipitous at first glance, like with pen tablets, but considerable investment is been made across the market to prove users otherwise and do it quick. With competition close on the heels, the most unintuitive decision designers can take is to downplay intuitiveness.

by: Torri Myler

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