Engage users less

Unless you’re making a game, something porn related, a blog, or any other type of entertaining time-sucking app, your goal is to get people to stop using it as quickly as possible.

Here’s why:

Whats our goal when designing an app? Fuck our goal.

Its their goal we’re concerned with:

• Saving time
• Saving money
• Enjoyment (time-suckers mentioned above)

The crux of UX - Saving time, should refer to the person’s total available time in the day - not saving time relative to your app. Fuck your app.

Every screen, interaction, button, piece of text, invented term, icon etc. All requires space in your user’s “mental inventory”.

Navigating your app requires a “mental map” of how to use it - what each swipe/button press does - and what lives on the other side.

This mental processing takes time, and is the challenge while successfully following the “don’t make me think” mantra.

How many useful + important apps do you have and rarely use?

I have many.. a bill manager, square, shazam, task managers etc. The list goes on. I use these apps when I need to accomplish something, and only then. My time is mine, they can’t have anymore - and unless they’re paying me, they don’t deserve it.

Focus your app on what it does best. Let users in, provide them value, and let them out. #

High quality repeat engagement can be much shorter and sporadic than we expect.