There were some great comments on the unopenable mint container post. I wanted to share a few of them.
Most people agreed that once someone learns the trick, the container is simple. Brent Logan downplayed the effort needed to learn how to use the mint tin, then came up with some great additional reasons why the time spent learning is worth it:
I’d say opening this mint container IS simple, because once you know how to do it (and it can be documented in just two simple pictures), you can open it:
- one handed
- without looking
- with ease
Justin Thiele liked the mint tin, but wouldn’t call it simple:
What if Microsoft Word decided on a new way to copy text? No more Command C (Ctrl C for you PCs). Instead copy would be F1. F1 is simpler, only requires pressing one button, no keyboard dexterity required, and much easier to say to somebody. But now the process of remembering that Microsoft Word uses F1 and every other program uses Command C, becomes more involved. If other programs begin to take these same liberties then complexity abounds.
It sounds like Justin is worried about consistency, which I think plays a large part in simplicity. Certainly being consistent within a context (such as your own website) is important. But there’s also consistency between contexts, such as your website and my website. If you underline links and I underline everything except links, one of us will probably be confusing people. And if there are enough people making changes like this, we may all begin to confuse people.
I mainly came here to spread a little obligatory comment love after seeing your twitter post. Then you mentioned mint tins and it became a NEED to comment. I have a deep love of mint.
I haven’t read the other comments yet but I think you can break it apart into two concepts when applied to the tin.
1. Simplicity – Minimal effort is required to open the tin.
2. Familiarity – The mechanism is unfamiliar and while it fits the definition of simplicity, it becomes difficult to open.
The shape implies functionality that seems implicit – twist it, because it’s round. The reason we do that is because its the mechanism we are most familiar with.
In the end its an argument of semantics.
Something can be simple, yet difficult to use. Something can be both simple and easy to use.
Something can be both easy to use and complex, as long as the functionality is implicit or familiar.