Simplicity
#78 - Aug.2023
In the book “The Laws of Simplicity” John Maeda offers his view on 10 laws for achieving simplicity in the digital age. There is one that caught my attention as it is more relevant than ever due to the current technology wave of model-based products:
Trust: in simplicity we trust.
Most of today’s applications strive for simplicity. While there are different paths and perceptions of simplicity, the best products today try their best to offer an intuitive and convenient experience.
Trust is built at every interaction. Every time a product keeps its promise of serving a task or solving a problem it generates customer engagement. It creates customer bonds and reinforces the value proposition.
Yet, as technology evolves, simplicity depends on how much a system knows about you. Experiences where a system predicts what you want are indeed simple to use; however, at the expense of customer privacy. A pendulum between how much the user needs to understand the complexity of the solutions and how much the system needs to know about each customer.
Finding the right balance between privacy & simplicity, while keeping customer’s trust, is key. As John Maeda points it, it's the dilemma for future products and services.
Acknowledging that customers are entitled to own their data and keeping a high bar on transparency, security, and reliability is a good starting point.
