[IxDA Discuss] can we make it to easy?

[Uday Gajendar]

On May 4, 2008, at 8:10 PM, Scott Berkun wrote:
> The thing missing from this thread is that there are many possible  
> reasons
> why any given design is complex - everyone is right at least some of  
> the
> time.


Great summary... Just wanted to add a quick reminder about Maeda's  
Laws of Simplicity, two in particular concerning the inevitability of  
complexity:

Law #5: Simplicity and complexity need each other
http://lawsofsimplicity.com/?p=54

Law #9 Some things can never be made simple
http://lawsofsimplicity.com/?p=58

In my view the vast machinery of consulting, training and  
certifications will continue onward regardless of what designers do or  
preach, both in enterprise (Oracle dBA, Cisco, etc.) and consumer  
(Geek Squad or Dummies books). There's tons of money to be made and  
folks clever enough to milk it :-) As designers, we just can't get  
worried about that... There's simply (ha!) too many competing forces  
and players in the ecosystem as Scott indicates; you'd go insane  
sorting it all out! (or the fruitless game of blaming someone)

As designers we must be accountable for delivering what's best for the  
*intended* user base/audience, balancing complexity (power) and simple  
(elegance), however that may be interpreted for the given problem.  
That's why we're paid the big bucks :-)


Uday Gajendar
Sr. Interaction Designer
Voice Technology Group
Cisco | San Jose
------------------------------
ugajenda at cisco.com
+1 408 902 2137