Embracing simplicity by Adam Silver

What might this look like?

Obsessed with simplicity

It’s hard Simple is complicated Simple is simple People We love complicated

Atul Gawande Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School

Ignorance Technology Ineptitude 10-15 years training 4000 procedures, 6000 drugs ? Brakes – set Elevator trim – set Autopilot – disconnected Patient’s name Area of procedure Known allergies

47% That’s millions of people

Seduced by complexity

Contribution Effort in != value out

Designer A spends an hour of their time making 5 screens because they know they need to design 5 screens. They’re not trying to change the world, they achieve what they set out to do.

Designer B takes an entire day to make one screen because they are obsessed with moving pixels, but they are stuck. They can’t let go.

They end up doing less because of their own insecurities about their contribution. They create the same thing over and over, they end up with unfinished design(s) or they go right back to the beginning.

Designer A understands that there’s no ‘perfect’.

Designer B believes ‘perfection’ exists, their belief of perfect is jaded by their own inability to understand the solution to the problem. In some cases, they are making a solution for a non existent problem.

Designer A thinks (differently).

Designer B overthinks.

Designer A’s contribution is greater because they think about the necessary.

Designer B’s contribution is lower because they think about the unnecessary.

Designer B is a blocker. To themselves (and the rest of their team). Designer B relies on what they know.

Designer A relies on what they don’t know. Designer A releases early to learn. Then goes back to improve.

Designer B releases late. They learn less because they believe they have perfected something, without testing.

Designer A works with context.

Designer B has no context.

Designer A learns.

Designer B thinks they don’t have to learn.

“Value only has a value when it’s value is valued” – Bryan Dyson, former CEO of Coca Cola

Checkout Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4

Checkout Step 1

2,000,000 #winning

Technology

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“If had to choose between making something my problem and the user’s problem i’ll choose to make it mine every time” – Jeremy Keith, Web Developer

What can we do with just the basics?

Mobile first Small screen first Essential first Essential only

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler” – Albert Einstein, Theoretical Physicist

Progressive Enhancement… …isn’t a prescription …it’s a strategy

Iteration = momentum Emotion Small steps = small wins Small steps = big wins

Thank you Keep in touch on Twitter @adambsilver