Cambridge Design Partnership

We live in a complex world. With constant drives for innovation and technological advances the complexities of designs get greater and greater and the core design requirement of the end user can get lost. To deal with this, after the initial design processes, we take a step back and begin the process of stripping away all the complexities and unnecessary features until there are no more left to remove. At this stage we reconsider the ‘integrity’ of the design to see how it appeals to the target user group. This process aims to create the most cost effective, usable, focused design, with optimised manufacturability.
… it’s easy to design complex things but much harder to create simple, timeless designs. The most successful designs have taught us that less is nearly always more.

(Simplicity) = (Durability) + (Beautiful Design)

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  1. shinichi Post author

    Weekly Value Add: We value simplicity in design

    Cambridge Design Partnership

    http://www.cambridge-design.co.uk/blog/wva-simplicity-in-design/

    Every week Cambridge Design Partnership has what we call ‘Weekly Value Add’ where we take a couple of minutes to discuss excellent designs in the market place and the features and benefits that make those designs so effective.

    This week’s Value Add highlighted the importance of Simplicity in design.

    We live in a complex world. With constant drives for innovation and technological advances the complexities of designs get greater and greater and the core design requirement of the end user can get lost. To deal with this, after the initial design processes, we take a step back and begin the process of stripping away all the complexities and unnecessary features until there are no more left to remove. At this stage we reconsider the ‘integrity’ of the design to see how it appeals to the target user group. This process aims to create the most cost effective, usable, focused design, with optimised manufacturability.

    One example of a great, simple design is the ipod Shuffle. An MP3 player that does just that, it plays MP3 format music. Integrated, low power electronics provide the opportunity for compact dimensions and light weight, but the simple user interface sets the product scale dispensing with complex features or excess buttons. The one additional feature it has is a clip. So for joggers, cyclists or anyone on the move wanting to listen to their music on a small device it has a crucial feature already integrated.

    Another example is the trusty spanner. This is design perfection! Over generations of design iterations is has minimised the material used, the areas with higher stress are thicker, the ring end cradles the nut using the hoop stresses to minimise bulk and maximise accessibility, and the plating is so tough that no matter how many times they are dropped on a concrete floor they remain unscathed and shiny, even after 20 years!

    So in conclusion; it’s easy to design complex things but much harder to create simple, timeless designs. The most successful designs have taught us that less is nearly always more.

    Simplicity = Durability and beautiful design.

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