Design Planning

By now, plenty has been written about the trials of Google+, including this now infamous rant  and grandaddy of accidental reply-all screw-ups by Google’s own Steve Yegge. But the question still remains as to why Google+ Circles — arguably the most lauded and distinguishing feature of the platform — has largely failed to meet user expectations.

As it turns out, Steve Yegge’s mistake of publicly posting something intended for a select circle of Google+ friends could have easily happened to anyone:

Thanks to my IIT Institute of Design colleagues Jin Shaun Ang and Kris Angell for their help in conducting this quick-and-dirty little usability study.