The other day I tried to record a television show, but was at a total loss because I couldn't figure out how to do it.
I thought to myself, why does my VCR have so many functions? Is it to set itself apart from VCRs made by other companies? Is it because as many features were rolled into this one product in order to satisfy the demands of all users? I have no idea what the manufacturer was thinking with this design. What I do know, however, is that I am not able to make full use of it.
I have seen many websites that, in the same way, have all sorts of features and information. Of course, there are websites that are easy-to-use and well-organized according to their purpose, but sometimes I can't find the information I want and can't decide which features to use because there are just too many.
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 What does it mean to be simple?
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This reminds me of the phrase "simple is best." In general, things that are simple are easy-to-use. So, what is the significance of being simple here? Normally, being simple means the state of having few features or little information.
If you use simplicity as a guideline, you can improve usability. For instance, if you compare a Windows application and a website created with HTML, although they may both have the same functionality, the website created with HTML is usually easier to use. This is a result of the fact that HTML has many constraints, which by nature makes it difficult to create complicated functions.
It may just be the people around me, but it seems that more often than not, people who work in an environment in which they are always connected to the Internet tend to regularly use dictionary websites more than they use dictionary applications.
That said, there are times in which simply reducing the features or information on a site can have the opposite effect and actually cause problems. Take for example, the cassette player. If the requirement for a cassette player is that it be equipped with play, record, fast forward, and reverse functions, then equipping the player with play, record, and fast forward will fulfill that requirement. That's because by turning the cassette tape over from side A to side B, the fast forward function can also serve as rewind. Here, getting rid of the rewind function has made the player simpler, but has not made it easier to use.
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Narrowing down the purpose and target
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If you are pursuing simplicity in order to improve the usability of a website, then you should not look at it from the perspective of how to reduce features and information. Rather you should focus on the degree to which you can narrow down the purpose and target users of the site.
If we consider developing a website that targets all people interested in finance, we will have to incorporate an enormous amount of features and information. However, if we focus the purpose and target of the site and gear it toward just investors or people trying to build up their assets, we can reduce the amount of features and information that have to be incorporated. As a result, we can improve the site's usability, and make it possible for more people to use the site.
From the standpoint of a website creator, there are so many things you might wish to incorporate in a site that pretty soon it becomes too complicated. In the end, however, you must carefully consider which items will be most productive and useful, and have the courage to eliminate the others.
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