The Future is Simple

Over on my Gizmos Grabowski weblog [worldcadaccess.typepad.com/gizmos], I've written a thesis on "The Future is Simple."

Have a good 2007.

Comments

[R. Paul Waddington]

Ralph, in the main I agree with the statements made about the Economics of Abundance and your Zen example is, at least in my case, a good description of features and functions that go underutilized and or unused. I use my mobile phone to make and receive phone calls; I know it has heaps of other capabilities but they are simply not required by me!

However having said that I believe the reverses is true if we shift the discussion to software, in particular design (CADD) software. I have always argued design and draughting software must be complex and, if it is to be of any commercial value, have many more features and functions than many will use to ensure that for many there are the features and functions they require. This sounds contradictory but every designer and draughtsperson will tackle similar tasks differently, for various reasons, and as a result need differing tools, or methods, at differing times, to achieve their similar goals.

One of the down sides of ‘design software’ (Inventor, SolidWorks etc.) is that that aim of the CAD vendors to ‘simplify’ the task, their ‘ease-of-use’ rationale results in a loss of flexibility and a loss of flexibility (in a design environment) results in a loss of productivity.

For example; I can substituted my entire spanner collection (ring, socket and open-ended) with just three (3) adjustable spanners (‘shifting spanners’) but shifties are not an appropriate tool in many situations and so I must (if I am to do my job professionally) keep and maintain a complex set of tools some of which I may only use on very infrequent occasions; but when they are needed, they are there to be used.

Consumer goods can often be simplified and the user will still be well served but design TOOLS (CADD in my case) must and will grow more complex if they are to maintain a level of flexibility that makes them useful and the users profitable.

All the best for 2007 to you Ralph, and your readers.

[R. Paul Waddington]

Correction:"I have always argued design and draughting software must be complex and, if it is to be of any commercial value, have many more features and functions than many will not use to ensure that for many there are the features and functions they require."