Flexibility-Usability Tradeoff

The core Itunes application provides users with the flexibility to view their music collection in one of three ways:

1) In a text-based list

2) In a grid of album covers

3) By album cover in “Cover Flow” mode

Though this flexibility provides a range of options for users, it also reduces the usability of the design. It increases the number of options available to the user and as a result, requires that he or she make a greater number of decisions while interacting with the application. Thus, it increases the complexity of the application which in turn, increases the chance of user error.