Comments on: Simplicity is not straightforward http://www.budd.uk.com/blog/simplicity-is-not-straightforward/ How do we stop doing dumb things to customers and people? Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:33:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.2 By: Ian Mapp http://www.budd.uk.com/blog/simplicity-is-not-straightforward/comment-page-1/#comment-502 Ian Mapp Sat, 27 Jun 2009 10:12:34 +0000 http://www.budd.uk.com/blog/simplicity-is-not-straightforward/#comment-502 Darren, thanks for the link to the Dilbert blog. Yes, it is the same sense of frustration as that expressed by David Pogue. Which reminds me, I should have credited David Rhodes on the FreshNetwoks blog (http://blog.freshnetworks.com/2009/06/simplicity-sells/) for originally pointing me to the TED video. Selling 'simple' might be hard - but designing simple products and services is *much* harder. Simple in the sense of easy to understand and use, not simple in the sense of lacking the necessary features and functions to be genuinely useful. The simplicity factor needs to be balanced with the motivation to learn. Nobody would say that learning to drive is easy, but we place huge value on the benefit we get - so we persist. (Many would say the same applies to Microsoft Windows!). Humans appear to have an almost limitless ability to overcome difficulties if the goal is sufficiently important. Scott Adams has made some pretty clear decisions on what he considers 'worth it', as we all do every day... As an aside, self-accompanied singing is one of the few things I have never seen you do in presentations - any aspirations in that direction? ;-) ian Darren, thanks for the link to the Dilbert blog. Yes, it is the same sense of frustration as that expressed by David Pogue. Which reminds me, I should have credited David Rhodes on the FreshNetwoks blog (http://blog.freshnetworks.com/2009/06/simplicity-sells/) for originally pointing me to the TED video.

Selling ‘simple’ might be hard – but designing simple products and services is *much* harder. Simple in the sense of easy to understand and use, not simple in the sense of lacking the necessary features and functions to be genuinely useful.

The simplicity factor needs to be balanced with the motivation to learn. Nobody would say that learning to drive is easy, but we place huge value on the benefit we get – so we persist. (Many would say the same applies to Microsoft Windows!). Humans appear to have an almost limitless ability to overcome difficulties if the goal is sufficiently important. Scott Adams has made some pretty clear decisions on what he considers ‘worth it’, as we all do every day…

As an aside, self-accompanied singing is one of the few things I have never seen you do in presentations – any aspirations in that direction? ;-)

ian

]]> By: Darren Cornish http://www.budd.uk.com/blog/simplicity-is-not-straightforward/comment-page-1/#comment-501 Darren Cornish Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:15:20 +0000 http://www.budd.uk.com/blog/simplicity-is-not-straightforward/#comment-501 Ian, couldnt agree more! I read this pretty amusing blog from Dilberts creator, Scott Adams - very much on the same theme :- http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/things_i_dont_know_how_to_do/ I think part of the problem is that people find it hard to 'sell' simple solutions. Shame. Ian, couldnt agree more! I read this pretty amusing blog from Dilberts creator, Scott Adams – very much on the same theme :- http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/things_i_dont_know_how_to_do/

I think part of the problem is that people find it hard to ‘sell’ simple solutions. Shame.

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