Views from the Hills by R. E. Stevens, GENESIS II (The Second Beginning) E-Mail views@aol.com

In Praise of Simplicity

The following are what I believe to be words of wisdom from a friend in Ireland.  He has given me permission to distribute them through the Views from the Hills of Kentucky.  Gerry McGovern writes a paper similar to the Views.  You can find more of his words at "http://www.nau.ie/nerthinking/archives/index.html."

We live in a world where change and complexity are forced on us at every turn.  The world is hitting back.  People are yearning for SIMPLICITY.  People are tired of technology that constantly overcomplicates things, that is poorly designed and that is full of bugs.

A classic example is WAP phones.  The ads promised ultimate freedom, but the reality is that they are excruciatingly difficult to use and that they deliver precious little benefit.  The result is that the consumers are becoming more conservative than ever in what they buy and how they use technology.  The average person, for example, uses no more than 10% of the features in common software, such as Microsoft Word.

A recent study by FCB Worldwide found that European buyers are becoming increasingly more cautious.  "There is a massive amount of inertia," according to an FCB director, "people have a lot of education about these products, but he more they know, the less they are tempted to buy something that will be upgraded next week."  The study also found that consumers are unhappy with the fact that they are being offered feature-overloaded products, but for all these features, the products often don't do the basic things that the consumer wants them to do.

This is no accident.  The technology industry is a speed addict.  The only thing that matters for many companies is to get the product to market before the competition, regardless of whether it works or not.  "Ship, then test," is the motto of the software industry, according to Silicon Valley guru, Guy Kawasaki.  He received a standing ovation from over 1,000 entrepreneurs when he made the statement:  "Don't worry, be crappy."

The consumer is not happy.  A July study by PC World found that very few consumers are satisfied with the computers they buy.  It found that approximately 22% of computers break down every year, compared to 9% of video recorders, 8% of refrigerators and 7% of big-screen TVs.  Another study by the Gartner group found that 25% of laptops cause problems.

The information worker is not happy.  A report by the Meta Group found that even though technology workers are working longer hours than ever, their productivity is diminishing.  The reasons given are that the projects have become more complex and because people are changing jobs more often, they are taking longer to acquire the appropriate skills and experience.  "Hours worked were far longer, but productivity was far down," according to Howard Rubin, a leading researcher on software labor patterns.

Complexity is the curse of the digital age.  It is a type of intellectual pollution that smothers clear thought.  Complexity is not a sign of intelligence, but rather a sign of a hyperactive mind gorging on more.  True genius and great design is about turning something complex into a product that is simple to use and delivers a real benefit to the consumer.

If the technology industry does not stop its love affair with rapid change and complexity, it will alienate a whole marketplace of consumers.  Never before has the KISS motto been more true -- Keep it Simple, Stupid.



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