Complicating simplicity
Gah! Trying to read about the “Simplicity: The Art of Complexity” (er, what?) conference. But the description at the conference site is the exact opposite of simple, clear writing:
An investigation of the essence of simplicity must necessarily get involved with the psychology of human-machine interaction.Why do we display such a strong proclivity to regarding technology as an externally imposed authority, to condemning or venerating it?…If we merely equate simplicity with simplification and reduction, simply let the technology become “invisible”, we not only manifest our inability to even recognize the type and extent of the technological deployment, but we also relinquish the ability to perceive its consequences and side effects. In doing so, we cheat ourselves out of not only our capacity for self-determination but also the possibility of fully utilizing technology’s capabilities.
And that’s just a small excerpt. Other words used on that page to talk about simplicity: inundations, technophobic, realtime-access, polyvalencies, global knowledge networks, externally imposed authority, dispassionate, technological competence, ambient inspiration, technological deployment, framework conditions, free zones, portals, alternative models, and artistic interventions.
I’ve got an idea where the intervention should start.
If you’re going to talk about simplicity, why not do it with words that are actually simple?
Source: Signal vs. Noise
Original Article: http://37signals.com/svn/archives2/complicating_simplicity.php