For more than 10 years, I have been convinced that it was not only possible, but somewhat trivial, to build a single system and application that would replace 80%+ of applications out there.
One app, that would replace Google, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Uber, Amazon, eBay, Craigslist, Slack, Asana, Trello, Gmail, Etsy, PayPal, Pinterest, Wikipedia, Airbnb, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.
Essentially, people would not see this as an app, but as the OS itself. The application paradigm would disappear, as people stop thinking about specific apps and services.
Let's assume for a minute that it is possible to build such a system. Let's assume that its interface is as good or better than what you would find in the specific apps above. Surely, this system would be more convenient than what we have today. Simply think of all of the accounts and apps you no longer have to maintain, as everything is now unified.
Yet, when I introduce this idea to people, most react very negatively. Even when getting past the fact that "this is technically impossible", they have other concerns. Namely, they tell me that people want novelty. According to many I've spoken to, people actually prefer novelty to convenience. They like to have many different apps. They like the diversity of icons and UI designs. They go as far as saying that they like the fragmentation of UX (different ways to do the same thing across apps). I find that very difficult to hear, let alone accept.
Is it true that people prefer novelty over convenience? Do people switch to the next shiny thing because of the shine, or because it's actually better? I've yet to find literature that clearly explains what's going on here, and your help is more than welcome.
- Many of these (uber, amazon, Wikipedia, PayPal) have nothing in common. Yes, you can mix a bunch of different apps together into one. But how is one complex app better than many simple ones? - While social networks are basically the same in terms of functionality, the communities are different. If you mix together every social network, the community will suffer.
Also, I think people like having different apps for a couple reasons:
- Apps are modular, so you get to choose what you want. With one huge system, you get everything, whether you want it or not. - Apps are easy to conceptualize - "In x app, I do y." It's much harder to understand a giant system (for example, why so many people confuse gmail and google itself).