Law 5: Differences
"Simplicity and complexity need each other"
Maeda's fifth law of simplicity is to merge simplicity and complexity:
Nobody wants to eat only dessert. Even a child that is allowed to eat ice cream three meals a day will eventually tire his sweet tooth. By the same token, nobody wants to have only simplicity. Without the counterpoint of complexity, we could not recognize simplicity when we see it. Our eyes and senses thrive, and sometimes recoil, whenever we experience differences.
Acknowledging contrast helps to identify qualities that we desire - which are often subject to change. I don't personally prefer the color pink, but I do like it as a dash of brightness in a drab sea of olive green. The pink appears bold and vibrant as compared with its dark and muted surroundings. We know how to appreciate something better when we can compare it to something else.
Simplicity and complexity need each other. The more complexity there is in the market, the more that something simpler stands out. And because technology will only continue to grow in complexity, there is a clear economic benefit to adopting a strategy of simplicity that will help set your product apart. That said, establishing a feeling of simplicity in design requires making complexity consciously available in some explicit form. This relationship can be manifest in either the same object or experience, or in contrast with other offerings in the same category - like the simplicity of the iPod in comparison to its more complex competitors in the MP3 player market (2006, Law 5: Differences).
New technology initiatives are complex, that is why so many end users are fearful of new technologies. That is why finding ways to simplify these initiatives is important to comfort the people that will be using the technologies in the end and who will be hopefully benefiting from them. However, there must be a balance between the complexity and simplicity or the initiative will seem too simple and without innovation.
What is the balance of complexity and simplicity in your project? Where can you let the risk takers in your population experiment with the more complex aspects of the initiative, and where will you keep things simple for novices? Comment below with your thoughts about simplicity vs. complexity.