Tesler’s Law: The Key to Balancing Complexity in Web Design and Development

Have you ever wondered why some websites or apps are easier to use than others? Why do some products make you feel frustrated, confused, or overwhelmed, while others make you feel satisfied, confident, or delighted? The answer lies in how well the designers and developers of these products have applied the principles of user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design.

UX and UI are two facets of web design that work hand-in-hand. While UI focuses on the user interface design, UX covers the overall user experience as they interact with your product or service. UI design tools give designers what they need to design accurate hi-fi wireframes, mockups, and prototypes and render minimally viable products [1]. UX design, on the other hand, encompasses many other areas, such as user research, usability testing, information architecture, content strategy, and more [2].

One of the most important concepts that UX and UI designers need to understand is the law of conservation of complexity, also known as Tesler’s Law. This law states that every application has an inherent amount of complexity that cannot be removed or hidden. Instead, it must be dealt with, either in product development or in user interaction [3]. This poses the question of who should be exposed to the complexity: the designer, the developer, or the user?

In this article, we will explore what Tesler’s Law means for web design and development, how it affects the quality and usability of your products, and how you can apply it to create better experiences for your customers.

What is Tesler’s Law?

Tesler’s Law was coined by Larry Tesler, a computer scientist and former vice president of Apple. He realized that the way users interact with applications was just as important as the application itself [4]. He observed that every application has a certain level of complexity that is determined by its functionality, features, and goals. This complexity cannot be eliminated; it can only be shifted from one place to another.

For example, let’s say you want to create a website that allows users to book flights online. This website has a lot of complexity involved: it needs to connect to various databases and APIs, it needs to handle different currencies and languages, it needs to display relevant information and options for each user, it needs to process payments and confirmations, and so on. This complexity can be distributed in different ways:

• You can put more complexity in the product development stage. This means that you need to write more code, use more advanced technologies, and spend more time and resources to create a website that is simple and intuitive for the user. You need to anticipate all the possible scenarios and use cases that the user might encounter and design accordingly. You need to test and debug your code thoroughly to ensure that everything works smoothly.
• You can put more complexity in the user interaction stage. This means that you need to write less code, use simpler technologies, and spend less time and resources to create a website that is more complex and challenging for the user. You need to rely on the user’s knowledge and skills to figure out how to use your website. You need to provide more instructions, feedback, and error messages to guide the user.

The trade-off between these two approaches is what Tesler’s Law is all about. It implies that there is no such thing as a simple or complex product; there is only a product with a certain amount of complexity that is allocated differently.

Why does Tesler’s Law matter?

Tesler’s Law matters because it affects how users perceive and evaluate your products.

If you put too much complexity in the product development stage, you might create a product that is easy to use but hard to build. This might result in higher costs, longer timelines, lower performance, or lower reliability.

If you put too much complexity in the user interaction stage, you might create a product that is easy to build but hard to use. This might result in lower satisfaction, higher frustration, higher abandonment rates, or lower retention rates.

The goal of UX and UI design is to find the optimal balance between these two extremes. You want to create a product that is both easy to build and easy to use. You want to reduce the unnecessary complexity and enhance the necessary complexity. You want to make your product as simple as possible but not simpler [5].

How can you apply Tesler’s Law?

To apply Tesler’s Law effectively, you need to follow some best practices:

• Know your users. You need to understand who your target users are, what their needs and goals are, what their pain points and preferences are, what their expectations and behaviors are. You need to conduct user research using methods such as interviews, surveys, personas, scenarios, etc.
• Know your business. You need to understand what your business objectives are, what your value proposition is, what your competitive advantage is, what your brand identity is. You need to align your product strategy with your business strategy and communicate it clearly to your stakeholders.
• Know your product. You need to understand what your product does, how it works, why it exists, who it serves, how it differs from others. You need to define your product scope, features, and functionality using methods such as user stories, user flows, wireframes, prototypes, etc.
• Test and iterate. You need to validate your assumptions and hypotheses using methods such as usability testing, A/B testing, analytics, feedback, etc. You need to measure and evaluate your product performance using metrics such as conversion rates, retention rates, satisfaction scores, etc. You need to refine and improve your product based on the data and insights you collect.

By following these steps, you can apply Tesler’s Law to create products that are simple, elegant, and effective for your users and your business.

Conclusion

Tesler’s Law is a fundamental principle of UX and UI design that states that every application has an inherent amount of complexity that cannot be removed or hidden. Instead, it must be dealt with, either in product development or in user interaction. This law affects how users perceive and evaluate your products and how you should design and develop them. By finding the optimal balance between product development complexity and user interaction complexity, you can create products that are both easy to build and easy to use.

At Menta, we are experts in web design and development. We offer high-quality products that are tailored to your specific needs and goals. We apply Tesler’s Law and other best practices to create products that are simple, elegant, and effective for your users and your business. Contact us today to find out how we can help you with your next project.

Bibliography

1 J. Yablonski, “17 best UI/UX design tools for the modern day designer in 2023,” Webflow Blog, 2022. [Online].

2 L. Stewart, “Choosing Between UX/UI Design vs. Web Development,” Course Report Blog, 2023. [Online].

3 “Law of conservation of complexity,” Wikipedia, 2021. [Online].

4 D. Saffer, “Larry Tesler Interview,” Designing for Interaction Website, 2010. [Online].

5 A. Einstein, “Einstein on Simplicity,” Quote Investigator Website, 2011. [Online].