Universal Principles of Design, Updated and Expanded Third Edition

041 Cost-Benefit

Value is a function of the costs of acquisition and use versus the benefits provided.

From a design perspective, the cost-benefit principle is typically used to assess the value of new features and elements. If the costs associated with interacting with a design outweigh the benefits, the design is poor. If the benefits outweigh the costs, the design is good. Costs and benefits can be financial (e.g., monetary), physical (e.g., effort), emotional (e.g., frustration), and social (e.g., status). For example, the number of steps and time required to download a large video is a cost. The ability to be able to watch the video is a benefit. If the entertainment value of the video justifies the cost to download it, then the interaction ...