The Truth About Google's So-Called "Simplicity"
http://www.uigarden.net/english/the-truth-about-googles-so-called-simplicity

Norman, Donald A.
uiGarden
2006

Abstract:

Anybody can make a simple-looking interface if the system only does one thing. If you want to do one of the many other things Google is able to do, oops, first you have to figure out how to find it, then you have to figure out which of the many offerings to use, then you have to figure out how to use it.