Simplicity Is Highly Overrated

Really, really stupid article that completely misses the point. The author takes “simplicity” to mean “less features” but in my mind it really means a lack of clutter. In electronic devices or software, this means that a control’s behavior is obvious – take the jog wheel of an iPod or a button labeled “search” on a web page. You know what it’s going to do before you use it. One question in the article is around control – if you have control over all the little features of a product, don’t you feel better? Not in my mind, especially if you can’t figure out WTF the control is supposed to do. You end up afraid to touch it. Additionally, ease of use doesn't necessarily mean a lack of features. Take again the iPod. Really complex little gadget. 5 buttons and a scroll wheel. Does pretty much everything you need.

In shopping, this means that the features of one product are obviously different from another, and stores that understand this sell products well – and don’t confuse the customer. At Superstore you get 15 different kinds of jam at different prices. I bet they sell less jam than Costco, which maybe has 3-4 different kinds.

In life, I think this means that your purpose is obvious and clear, with little clutter or distraction getting in your way. Often this means decluttering the house and your life. A good example for me was selling my beloved Talon. It was a great car that I enjoyed greatly, but simply didn’t fit in with my new family life. I had to downsize and downgrade on performance and picked up a used 4-door Audi A4. It’s a fine car that’s enjoyable to drive, but it’s safe and can fit two kids.
http://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/simplicity_is_highly.html