57. People are Inherently Lazy

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People are Inherently Lazy

Is Lazy another word for efficient?

People learned that if they conserve their energy they will survive longer and live better

You want to spend enough energy to keep the basic resources but beyond that you waste your energy

Humans work on a principle called satisficing for most activities

There will always be a question of how much is enough or do we have enough or how long should it last

Satisfy+ Suffice = Satisfice

Coined by Herbert Simon, satisfice describes a decision-making strategy in which the person decides to pick the adequate option rather than the optimal one

Satisficing is that the cost of making a complete analysis of all the options is not worth it and may be impossible

People don't have the cognitive faculties to weigh all the options for any given situation

It is better to make a decision based on what will do or what is good enough

Design Websites for Scanning not Reading

Satisfice the viewer when they come to your website

You hope they will read the whole page, but in reality they will simply glance at it or scan some text until something catches their eye

Design them like billboards, assuming they will only get a quick glance of what you are showing them

Things like less clutter, larger typefaces, and great use of negative space will make your website look "easier" to use

Take-Aways

Assume that people will get things done with the least amount of work possible

It may not always be the case but it is true more often than not

People will satisfice

They will look for the good-enough solution rather than the optimal