Minimalism

Synopsis: Minimalism can be a powerful tool or an effective aesthetic hedge.

In-N-Out Burger arrived in Provo a while back, and the drive-through lines are still long. In-N-Out Burger might be the Apple of fast food; sometimes people seem obsessed with it. There are probably numerous reasons for the popularity, but I would like to suggest that minimalism is one of them, specifically with regard to the menu.

The benefits of minimalism in the In-N-Out menu:

a) People don't have many choices, so they buy more
b) It looks nicer, cleaner, more inviting
c) It's easier to replicate and remember

There is plenty of research available about the effects on consumers of too many choices. The usual result is that people with more choices buy less, as a result of "decision paralysis."¹ Decision paralysis is the notion that people faced with an informationally heavy decision may not decide at all. ² In the book The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz even claims that too much choice is hurting individual consumers and thus society at large. I think In-N-Out would sell fewer burgers if they added more to their visible menu. ³

Minimalism in appearance is a method of hedging. People praise it less, but they also criticize it less. In a fast food place, it's likely nobody will think hard about what In-N-Out could have added to the menu to make it look more appealing. However, when I look at the McDonald's menu, there is a lot of ugly clutter. It's not usually conscious, but I'd guess people think a minimalist menu looks better, which leads to a better feeling about the restaurant.

In-N-Out's are more standardized across the chain, in my opinion, than other restaurants. People like familiarity, and I think in this case more is still better.

As mentioned, In-N-Out and Apple share a trait or two. Maybe the link is partly a result of similar aesthetics? Other factors weigh-in, I'm sure, but minimalism in both contributes to mass appeal, sometimes obsession. Listen to an apple ad with the intent to spot minimalist thinking and I'll bet you'll find it. The buzzwords are "simple" and "small." Google is another company that probably benefits from minimalism. No distractions, just a search bar.

Minimalism clearly has limits. Plenty of smart businesses decide against a minimalist approach, probably to cater to varying needs and demand. As usual, the interesting questions are: how much? when? It's probably worth thinking about.

Update 7/22/2010: I recently read about what is called the "aesthetic-usability effect." If something looks nicer, people perceive it as easier to use. While minimalism directly reduces decision paralysis, it may also indirectly make products seem easier via good aesthetics.

1. "Medical Decision Making in Situations That Offer Multiple Alternative" by Donald A. Redelmeier and Eldar Shafir, "Analysis of Paralysis" by Chip and Dan Heath.

2. People can put themselves in decision paralysis by delving deeper into possibilities behind choices, rather than proceeding with trial and error or other methods. See analysis paralysis on wikipedia.

3. In-N-Out still allows customers to ask for special orders, or items from the secret menu. (Or the not-so-secret menu, as they call it.) This way, they cater to people with special desires without having to display what most people would ignore.