The more I see, the more I think…

Can a 25-year-old book still be relevant in today’s digital world?

So much has changed. Social media exploded, digital industries matured, AI now writes our emails. And yet, nothing has really changed - at least not when it comes to human behavior.

Back in 2000, Steve Krug published Don’t Make Me Think, a book built on a simple idea: products should be self-explanatory. That principle still holds up today. In fact, it’s more relevant than ever.

But the more products I use, the more I see how far we’ve drifted from it.

Take Notion. I use it every day, but I didn’t know how to create a new page until I happened to use it as a guest with editing rights. It’s powerful, yes. But intuitive? Not really.

Or Spotify - once effortless listening, now a chaotic mess of podcasts, suggestions, algorithmic nudges, and clutter. It feels like this every time I open it:

“Want music? No, wait - how about a podcast? Or a new artist? Or maybe this deep dive into space? No? Try this playlist with a clickbait cover instead!”

Imagine someone doing that every day while you try to relax. Exhausting, right?

Steve’s book reminded us that great products don’t make people think. They guide, support, and get out of the way. And yet we’ve built an ecosystem full of friction.

The sheer volume of products that force us to think - to interpret, guess, or navigate - makes people tired. Each little moment of confusion adds up. It drains cognitive energy, increases cognitive load, and leaves users feeling frustrated before they’ve even achieved their goal.

We ship features without asking if they make sense. We accept business requirements without questioning whether they serve the user.

We often chase activation and retention as metrics, but here’s the irony - the more we reduce cognitive load, the more likely users are to activate, stay, and succeed. Simplicity and clarity aren’t the opposite of business success - they’re the drivers of it.

This is exactly how I design products. It’s the lens I bring to every project. Right now, I’m driving adoption of this approach at Workwize, and it’s working. Fewer clicks, clearer flows, and smarter defaults are leading to better engagement - not just for users, but for the business too.

This isn’t just a preference. It’s my product philosophy - no matter how much the tools or trends change.

So how do we get back to that?

By asking simple, powerful questions - every time we design, scope, or ship:

1. Can my user achieve their goal quickly and confidently?

2. Am I accidentally making it harder than it needs to be?

It’s not a radical approach. It’s just good design. And it’s time we brought it back.