Embracing constraint

A presentation at Refresh LX in September 2012 in Lisbon, Portugal by Simon Collison

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Embracing constraint

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1024 x 768

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4:3

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16:9

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1920 x 1080

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30

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140

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8

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Having complete freedom is possibly the worst way to start any project.

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Given constraints

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With less freedom and fewer resources, we have to make smarter decisions.

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Why impose limits?

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Simplicity and complexity

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Less is more. Simple is be ! er. Right?

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We don’t design web pages. We design system s.

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800

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960

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Constraint is key to understanding complexity. Increase constraint and you create an ordered system; do that inappropriately and you create the conditions for catastrophic failure; remove constraint and the system is chaotic. Dave Snowden, The 5 C’s of Complexity

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Content as constraint

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The constraints we know, and the constraints we’ve yet to encounter.

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Unleash complexity in orchestrated phases, and increase power gradually.

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Constraints as selling point

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We design to communicate, and we seek emotive responses.

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delight / emotion / surprise systems / constraint / restraint simplicity / complexity / focus context / reduction

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Thanks Simon Collison @colly