Simplicity – Synap Software, LLC

Great Visual of Simplification by Reduction

I love this photo – “Understanding how to use a remote is made easier by a friend” – as an example of the power of reduction to make something easier to understand and give people a better experience. Take away all the stuff people don’t need and suddenly instead of fumbling around feeling stupid, theyContinue reading “Great Visual of Simplification by Reduction”

Making of a Web App: Choose a Small Feature List for V1.0

In this, the fifth entry in the Make a Web App series, we build the v1.0 feature list. The key points are: Write down a big list of features. Cut the list in half. Cut the list in half again. Version 1.0 will be only this 25% of the big list – these are theContinue reading “Making of a Web App: Choose a Small Feature List for V1.0”

Why a Big Budget Will Kill Your Software Project

In “Making of a Web App: Determining Scope” I said that new software projects should reduce their scope in order to simplify. Simplification being a good thing for many reasons including: increased likelyhood of success much greater end-user satisfaction much better support and maintenance at lower costs scalability Yet, on large projects with dozens ofContinue reading “Why a Big Budget Will Kill Your Software Project”

Barry Schwartz: The Paradox of Choice

From Publishers Weekly ”Like Thoreau and the band Devo, psychology professor Schwartz provides ample evidence that we are faced with far too many choices on a daily basis, providing an illusion of a multitude of options when few honestly different ones actually exist. The conclusions Schwartz draws will be familiar to anyone who has flippedContinue reading “Barry Schwartz: The Paradox of Choice”