In the economy of user effort, be a bargain, not a scam • Lea Verou

User effort should be treated as a currency that users spend to accomplish their goals. The key to great product design is creating a smooth complexity-to-effort curve where simple tasks remain easy while complex tasks are possible, avoiding usability cliffs where slight increases in complexity cause dramatic jumps in required effort. Products should maximize signal-to-noise ratio by eliminating unnecessary steps and boilerplate, prioritize consumer needs over producer needs, and design tradeoffs that make users feel they're getting a bargain rather than being overcharged for basic functionality.