“Clutter and overload are not an attribute of information. They are failures of design.” – Edward Tufte
In “iPhone Resolution” by Edward Tufte, Tufte explains the simple, elegant design that Apple is known for on their iPhone interface. The iPhone is probably the most used piece of technology that I own. I am always navigating through various apps to perform specific tasks. The ease of use of the iPhone is due to the simple interface. Tufte explains that when presenting information, all of the information should be presented on the screen. Even down to the finest details. In order for all of the information to be clear, you must add as much detail as possible. The high resolution of the iPhone allows for the abundance of details. In the video, Tufte shows a chart on the iPhone screen that displays thousands of numbers that are all accurate to the second significant digit. That is pretty impressive.
When designing an iPhone interface, the designer must be careful to not clutter the screen with non-useful information. It is VERY important to not clutter the screen. This adds for confusion and difficulty when trying to interact with the interface. Not to mention, that a cluttered screen is simply ugly. Trying to create the right balance of design aesthetics and the presentation of information may be difficult. This is a major flaw of interface design. Even Apple is guilty of bad design when presenting information and Tufte points out a few of their flaws. As designers we must figure out this balance based on our project. Just like Apple, this may be accomplished through trial and error.