KISS KEEP IT STUPID SIMPLE HOW TO
KISS KEEP IT STUPID SIMPLE SOFTWARE

An MVP is defined as a basic version of a product that contains just enough for the product to be used by early users. KISS and the Minimum Viable ProductĪ great way to see the application of the KISS principle in UX design is by looking at the minimum viable product (MVP). While the impressive graphic might lure the user, if the animations do not offer an intuitive path to the end goal, the feature may become an annoyance to the user, pushing them to abandon the product altogether. Instead of starting at the beginning and brainstorming a wide range of possible solutions, designers can conceptualize their users interacting with the final product and finding everything they needed to fulfill their goal in an easy, effortless, and enjoyable way.įor instance, a designer may find the addition of a novel 3D animation to be an alluring and enticing feature. While there are many factors to consider when designing an experience for users, one of the best ways to keep the KISS principle in your UX designs is to work backward. However, this can frequently lead to overcomplicating a product for the sake of flare and pizazz or an impressive portfolio piece. It can be easy for designers to let their own imaginations and ambitions take over. Often when we start designing an experience for a specific group of users, there are many preconceived ideas of what they might need or want.

KISS KEEP IT STUPID SIMPLE HOW TO

How to apply the KISS principle to UX design But it is the way in which complex designs can be refined and made accessible to the user that separates a successful product from an unusable one. When it comes to designing for intricate beings like us humans, complexities are bound to arise. However, this is not to say that designers must avoid complexity in total. What’s apparent in each industry is the fact that unnecessary complexities and overcomplicated features can often render designs unusable.

KISS KEEP IT STUPID SIMPLE SOFTWARE

Since the birth of the phrase, the KISS principle has been adopted by a wide variety of industries like product design, education, software engineering, healthcare, and more. Anything more would render their designs futile and potentially life-threatening. He asked his fellow designers to think of the setting in which their products would be used-a war-torn battlefield or a basic mechanics garage.Īnything they designed should be able to be fixed and operated by novice pilots and mechanics in precarious and rudimentary situations. Johnson was the lead engineer at Lockheed Skunkworks, an aircraft manufacturer responsible for designing revolutionary spy planes, hyper and supersonic technologies, and more.īut how can the design of flying machines for war and reconnaissance be simple? Well, Johnson explained the principle to his team using an easily imagined scenario.

However, the exact phrase “keep it simple, stupid” is thought to have been conceived by an engineer named Kelley Johnson. It’s common for artists and designers to mention its importance when creating successful works. The concept of simplicity has long been associated with sophistication, refinement, and efficiency. What is Keep it Simple, Stupid (The KISS principle)? How to apply the KISS principle to UX design.What is Keep it Simple, Stupid (The KISS principle)?.In this article, we’ll clarify the details of the KISS principle and how to use it. While keeping things simple sounds, well, simple, it can be difficult to determine exactly what a design needs, versus what can be left out. From grand buildings to mechanical novelties and even digital realities, some of the most prestigious designers in history have used one key principle to create life-changing designs: keep it simple.Ĭommonly phrased as “keep it simple, stupid” (KISS), this idea of keeping design elements limited to the essentials has benefits for both the designer and the user.īy getting rid of the unnecessary, you leave space to perfect exactly what the user needs to achieve their goal.

Kiss keep it stupid simple