One of my pet peeves is complex design and human/computer interfaces that put technology ahead of simplicity, lucidity and cognition. Apparently, I'm not alone. Dr. John Maeda of the M.I.T. Media Lab organized a workshop to bring designers and researchers together to foster simplicity in the design process.
There is too much needless complexity in the world, he argues. Technology, which was supposed to make our lives easier, has taken a wrong turn. In 20 years we've gone from the simplicity of MacPaint to Photoshop. While the first fostered a creative explosion, the second gave birth to an industry of how-to books and classes. And such complexity is commonplace, Dr. Maeda says. Despite the lip service paid to "ease of use," "plug and play," and "one-click shopping," simplicity is an endangered quality in the digital world, he adds, and it is time to break free from technology's intimidating complexity.
The New York Times > Technology > Circuits > Essay: A Design Epiphany: Keep It Simple