To understand complexity means to find simple rules,
principles, laws and equations behind very complicated
looking patterns and complex phenomena. This has
always been the aim of science: "..The aim of science is,
on the one hand, a comprehension, as complete as possible,
of the connection between the sense experiences in their
totality, and, on the other hand, the accomplishment of this
aim by the use of a minimum of primary concepts and relations.."
(Albert Einstein in "Physics and Reality", 1936, reprinted in Part V of
"Ideas and Opinions", Albert Einstein, Crown Publishers, 1954)
Complexity and simplicity are often considered as two distant
extremes of the same continuum or spectrum. But it is in fact
the combination of both extremes which we are seeking.
In science we try to find and discover simplicity behind complexity,
in technology we try to hide and conceal complexity behind simplicity.
We would like to have complex tools and instruments with simple
interfaces, and simple theories or models with complex results.
In a recent version of the economist, the conquest of complexity
is described as the next big thing in technology. IT needs to be simpler
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=3307363It is based on John Maeda's new research initiative called
"Simplicity" at the MIT Media Lab. The corresponding
simplicity website is in fact really simple
http://simplicity.media.mit.edu/Perhaps a bit too simple. The blog from John Maeda is more interesting
http://weblogs.media.mit.edu/SIMPLICITY/Big firms and companies like Apple, Philips and Siemens
have of course realized the importance of simplicity.
If s.th. is simple and useful, like Google's Homepage
or Apple's iPod, chances are good it is successful
http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?Story_id=3307408Apple's design philosophy is based on simplicity, clarity,
quality and usability. Microsoft (MS-DOS, Autoexec.bat,
Config.sys, Registry, Windows API, ..) and their products have
never been associated with simplicity or clarity, although they
have made some progress in the last years. Simplicity was one
of the reasons why the Mac and the iMac were successful
http://www.macworld.com/1999/02/opinion/desktopcritic/Philips started recently a new advertising campaign
named "sense and simplicity"
http://www.simplicity.philips.com/index.htmlAnd the bureaucratic German technology giant
Siemens uses a "Science of Simplicity" in his Usability Labs
http://w4.siemens.de/FuI/en/archiv/zeitschrift/heft2_99/artikel02/
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