Law 7: Emotion
"More emotions are better than less"
Maeda's seventh law of simplicity is to incorporate more emotion:
Simplicity can be considered ugly. Take my mother who absolutely despises anything of neutral color or minimalist form. She wants neon flowers, bejeweled frogs, and other decorative essentials. When it comes to aesthetics, she’s all about the "bling."
From a rational perspective, simplicity makes good economic sense. Simple objects are easier and less expensive to produce, and those savings can be translated directly to the consumer with desirable low prices. As evidenced by the extremely affordable line of simple products from furniture retailer Ikea, simplicity benefits the frugal shopper. However, there are some people, like my mother, who would say that simplicity is not only cheap, but would add that it looks cheap as well. A strong sense of self expression belies all of us humans, and many such decisions we make are not driven by logic alone.
The seventh Law is not for everyone—there will always be the die-hard Modernists who refuse any object that is not white or black, or else with clear or mirrored surfaces. My mother finds the iPod entirely unattractive. And while the older generation isn't Apple's targeted market (for the moment, at least), I am still the dutiful son I was raised to be, and so I find the seventh Law a necessary component in the simplicity toolbox. More emotions are better than less. When emotions are considered above everything else, don't be afraid to add more ornament or layers of meaning (2006, Law 7: Emotion).
The consumers of your technology initiative will have a range of legitimate emotions as a result of your project. The innovators and early adopters might feel enthusiastic and excited to try something new. Laggards may have concerns about pit-falls that you have not accounted for. Hopefully, the majority of your consumers have feelings of accomplishment after struggling and succeeding with new technologies. Increase the emotions in your project by giving your consumers a voice. Positive emotions will support and encourage further experimentation with the technologies introduced. Letting your users share their negative feelings will provide the opportunity to address concerns and involve those with concerns in the initiative.
The best way to let the consumers know their voice is being heard is to make what they share public. Comment below with a creative and public solution to giving consumers a chance to share their emotions, or comment on two peers’ ideas about why you think their solutions will be effective.