Hick’s Law

QUOTE

John Maeda once said…

“Choice is the enemy of simplicity.”

(American technologist and designer.)

CONCEPT

Hick’s Law

Hick's Law, named after British psychologist William Edmund Hick, is a principle in psychology and ergonomics that describes the time it takes for a person to make a decision as a result of the possible choices they have.

According to Hick, the more options presented, the longer it takes for the mind to process these choices and make a decision. This concept highlights the cognitive load that multiple choices impose on decision-making.

STORY

Addition … by Subtraction?

Originally developed in 1994 by a Japanese company to track automotive parts, QR codes were a technical solution for a specific industry need.

For years, their use remained largely confined to manufacturing and logistics.

However, the potential of QR codes to store a large amount of data in a small, scannable image began to be recognized more broadly in the late 2000s.

Despite this, their adoption in consumer markets was slow. The primary hurdle was the need for a smartphone with a camera and a QR code reading app, which were not widely used at the time.

In the early 2010s, the dramatic increase in smartphone usage, along with improvements in camera technology and the native integration of QR code readers into smartphone operating systems, set the stage for a QR code revolution. Even though QR codes were easily accessible, adoption was still slow. (Ironically, QR stands for “Quick Response.”)

Then a wold-changing even happened: the COVID-19 pandemic.

The need for contactless transactions and information sharing made QR codes an ideal solution. Restaurants replaced physical menus with QR codes, events used them for contactless ticketing, and businesses employed them for seamless, touch-free payments.

The statistics underscore this surge: A 2020 survey revealed that 83% of respondents in the United States had scanned a QR code at least once that year, a significant increase from previous years.

The same survey indicated a 94% recognition rate among consumers, highlighting the widespread adoption of this technology.

Seemingly overnight, a technology that lay dormant for years suddenly became ubiquitous, propelled by a convergence of technological advancements and a sudden shift in global circumstances.