Less is more or the more the merrier?

By Saba Fathi UX Researcher

“Less is more” is a new trend and a new generation of design, lead mainly by Apple. But does... that work in the travel industry when it comes to UX?

The number of travel websites seems to be increasing and in this saturated industry, a well-structured user experience is like having an ace up your sleeve. But there are common issues that might be troublesome during the design process in addition to user experience. For instance, Information overload; too many options on most travel websites. The search funnel is already the main functionality and it’s visible enough. However, some of them include too much information or too many options such as search forms, offers, packages, last-minute bargains, etc.; sometimes it seems like objects are being dropped on the page with no obvious structure or grouping into sections. This may require an extra effort by the users to find a point to start their navigation. Let’s press the pause button here and imagine what a user would do without any of these features? Aren’t they helpful for the stakeholders and users as well? Some of them are upselling, cross-selling, or beneficial data for users like cheapest tickets or open seats.

Less is more

Less object, white space, restrict information, now you’re good to go!

The term ‘Elegantly Simplified’ can be used to describe the core idea of what is called Minimalism. It is a method that can be effectively used in diverse fields of human activity. In the case of the different areas of visual arts, minimalism is considered as a simple yet meaningful approach to convey the intended message as briefly as possible. In the field of UX design, the methodology of minimalism is even more significant because UX design interacts with a very wide range of users. As such, website design should be conceived in such a way where the audience can interact with it without much complexity.

The thoughtful use of colors, icons, and fonts have the potential to create a useful, powerful, and easy experience for the user. If done with precision, such websites will become a very productive and convenient medium for the target audience. UI designers gravitate towards simple interfaces using the minimalist approach while staying away from being empty and shallow. Again, with a thorough methodical approach, they make the designing of websites a stylish and elegant affair. However, at the same time, they remain mindful not to overburden the interface with unnecessary non-functional, decorative elements. Minimalist websites are not only appealing for users, but they are also easier to develop, better at speed, and ensure a smooth transition to the responsive world.

Also, there is a UX law that supports the “less is more” idea which is “Hicks Law”. The law states: “The more choices a person is presented with, the longer it will take them to reach a decision”. Too many options require users to invest precious mental energy interpreting how to use an app, forcing them to do something they will often reject.

Or the more the merrier?

Okay, that’s all acceptable and I respect that. Now by having everything above in your mind, let’s continue to consider some other points.

As a UX researcher who accidentally:) does work in the travel industry, it’s not possible to remove some data especially in travel websites in order to follow the “less is more” concept. Although you may think some information is extra or not essential, all the target audiences are not as tech-savvy as you might think. (I believe if you are reading this you are a high tech/ professional user)

Even though this minimalist mindset is acceptable for almost everyone, we need to be cautious of potential dangers. We must be aware and conscious of the information or designs that we leave out. I would argue that the designs and information we choose to leave out are equally important as the designs make it to production. Our design decisions should be contextual and user-centered, sometimes it will conflict with the preexisting design toolkit. Oversimplifying designs and interactions can create an unintended bad user experience.

Imagine you want to book a flight ticket for your vacation, how much data do you want to decide? How much data do you need to trust? or how much information do you want so you can pay?

All of this amount of data has to be served somewhere so as to protect users from confusion, question, or in the worst-case scenario, Exit! There are lots of data that are indelible such as time, region and destination, price, type, and more…

Here is kayak.com; this picture is only a snippet of search result for a flight. now imagine how messy the whole search result is(with more than 10 tickets like this on one page)! Plus, there is some tricky info to persuade users to buy. For instance, the best options tag.

But come on it’s 2021 all designs are not the same, there has to be a solution. Yes, there is, with a price though. If you were booking with Trip.com you’ll see a clean and minimal designed ticket but when you ask for more data a popup opens to your face immediately and blocks your way to see the ticket/other tickets. So you are one step further from your payment and that one moment may create hesitation for the final user.

To dive in take a look at the ticket above, this is for kiwi.com. From the top, we have the date, time, and the airport. Also, some tags to show the duration of the flight, airline, and direct flight or stops. After that, we have the arrival time with the destination name and its airport. Due to the round flight at the bottom, we have the return ticket. The price is on the right side with its CTA button and we have the class of flight and loaded baggage under the tickets as well as some other details.

Now imagine this is your own ticket, how would you feel if one of these items were removed? Or moved to the details section. So you have to open each ticket details to see the info.

Plus, on some websites, there is some colored tag to help the upselling process. for that you need to create urgency or a feeling of necessity. Also, in some cases, they may carry info.

Like this kayak ticket:

I’m not saying that this is better, but it can lead users to a more satisfying decision as well as more benefits for the company.

Now let’s analyze this ticket:

This one is for expedia.com as you can see there is no date, no info about the type of flights and I even can’t see the details button to see more. Of course, I already choose the date or flight class myself but, after watching recorded videos of users’ behavior or interviews with them I believe fewer data could bring confusion to them. On the other hand, the amount of data about stop time and place is not enough. In addition, the absence of icons or any visual element may slow down the user. Icons are a universal language. anybody can understand the meaning of well-designed icons. with just a glance you can get the information you need.

You gotta think pragmatically!

Taking the minimalist approach can get you beautiful design but not useful though! Just like that you’ve decided to forget a huge target audience and focus on a niche group of professional users. The travel industry is a competitive market, where you can’t make many mistakes. You have to consider the power of that huge target audience.

So sometimes it’s good to sacrifice UI for superior UX a little bit and personalize the tendency for your own users.

Hope you enjoy ❤

Less is more or the more the merrier? was originally published in Bootcamp on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.