[boomlinde]

I wouldn't say it's fundamentally harder. It's fundamentally the same thing, because developers are users, and software development isn't the only domain where users have discerning tastes and needs that they want catered to. It's not the only domain where users will happily accept a steep learning curve for the years of use that will pay off that initial investment, or where shoving detailed information under the carpet can be a negative thing.

I think it would be arrogant to think of software development as exceptional in this sense, but it's certainly reflected in a lot of software designs. The reality IMO is that if you aren't working off a set of insights and observations like the one listed in the article—regardless of your users' domain—you aren't making enough of an effort to design for your users.