Depressing or what?

Putting People First cites a study reported in Harvard Business Review that shows that even though people know products loaded wth features are likely to be more difficult to use than simpler products, they still choose those that have more features than they need. Of course when people come to use complex products they then appreciate the value of simplicity.

The authors propose a compromise for companies of educating consumers to choose products that suit their needs, producing simpler products and, oh yes, carrying out market research in which people actually use products to evaluate them. How revolutionary is that.