The Aesthetics of “Easy to Use” w/ Marty Gage

Experts use heuristics and cognitive theories to explain why something is or is not usable.

But what do things look and act like that are perceived as “user friendly”?

What are the sensory signals that viscerally communicate that a thing is going to be “easy to use”?

This presentation will be a visual description of how people explain “easy to use”, in their own words, using pictures and stimuli.

Characteristics of user-friendliness such as intuitive, obvious, straightforward, familiar, clear, effortless, ergonomic, and organized will be visualized.

These qualities of “easy to use” will come to life through a broad range of categories and contexts including automotive, electronics, banks, tools, food packaging, over-the-counter medications, and appliances.

Making all aspects of life easy is a universal need.

Pictures will be used to make “easy to use” easy to understand.

Marty is a generative research pioneer, VP of User Experience Research at human experience firm Lextant, and author of User Experience Research: Discover What Customers Really Want.

At Lextant, Marty leads a team that defines people’s desired experiences for leading brands such as P&G, ConAgra, Kohler, HP, Whirlpool, Ford, GM, Stellantis, Honda, Lowe’s, GE, GSK, Pfizer, Kimberly Clark, Meta, and Nationwide.

Marty’s academic audiences include The Ohio State University, Arizona State University, and Savannah College of Art and Design, where he and Lextant colleague Spencer Murrell collaborated with SCAD on a course and certificate in “Design Research and Insight Translation.”