A presentation at EnhanceConf in in London, UK by Adam Silver
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
Article Comments
<p>Article</p> <p>Comment</p>“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
A talk about nailing the basics and iteratively layering on JavaScript enhancements only when they add value.
Here’s what was said about this presentation on social media.
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