Sometimes, less is more...
We want to personalize! We want the red convertible with the tan leather interior and the iPod hook-up, with custom rims. Green just won’t do! It’s this definitive decision that makes us happy, even ecstatic when we find the perfect [insert your idea of perfect here]. However, it is this same choice that can ruin an otherwise perfect experience.
"Observed in many cases is the paradox that more choices may lead to a poorer decision or a failure to make a decision at all. It is sometimes theorized to be caused by analysis paralysis, real or perceived, or perhaps from rational ignorance. A number of researchers including Sheena S. Iyengar and Mark R. Lepper have published studies on this phenomenon."
This analysis was popularized by Barry Schwartz in his 2004 book, The Paradox of Choice.
Check out the book
http://www.amazon.com/Paradox-Choice-Why-More-Less/dp/0060005688
Or the post on Cognitive Dissonance
http://www.fuelyourinterface.com/cognitive-dissonance-why-your-users-brains-hurt/
Sometimes, less is more...
by TN9Design
