Fast software is not always good software, but slow software is rarely able to rise to greatness. Fast software gives the user a chance to “meld” with its toolset. That is, not break flow.
It’s nice to see that the Chrome browser will add interface enhancements to show whether you can expect a site to load fast or slowly.
Just a shame that the Google search team aren’t doing this kind of badging …unless you’ve given up on your website and decided to use Google AMP instead.
Maybe the Chrome team can figure out what the AMP team are doing to get such preferential treatment from the search team.
A look at our relationship with waiting, and how that is manifested in the loading icons in our interfaces.
For me, in my moments of boredom, as I turn to my phone and refresh my social media feed, I imagine that what’s on the other side of the buffering icon might be the content that will rid me of boredom and produce a satisfying social connection. The buffering icon here represents my hopes for the many ways that my social media feeds can satisfy my longings at any given moment. They rarely do, though I believe that we are half in love with the buffering icon here because it represents the promise of intimacy or excitement across the distances that separate us.