Sometimes, if not most times, the best solution is also the simplest one. Why develop a complex device to connect two irregularly sized shapes when a bit of sellotape will do? Why ask people a series of complex questions about improving your product when what you really want to know is “how could we do things better”? And why provide complex levels of interactivity and engagement on your website when all you want is to get a few conversations going?
Image by ullrich.c via Flickr
At FreshNetworks we are strong believers that simplicity sells. But, of course, simplicity is difficult. It is very easy to build a complex online community with many ways for people to engage and many ways for brands to talk to them. It is less easy to design and implement a simple site, one that is designed perfectly to get the benefits the brand wants but enables users to interact in a way that is simple and intuitive. Good design is important and good design is simple design. It’s the getting there that’s difficult.
This presentation from David Pogue (given at TED in 2006) looks at the value of simplicity in technology, and is our Required Reading for this week. It shows the value of simplicity (and perhaps also the value of a good song at the start of a presentation).
Original Post: http://blog.freshnetworks.com/2009/06/simplicity-sells/
