Embrace Simplicity, Avoid Complexity

Paul is the principal of Bird Advisory in Perth, Western Australia.

  Communications Management   Complexity   Organizational Culture  

There is much virtue in simplicity. The ancients would have recognized its contribution to prudence, temperance and justice. If you find this hard to conceive, consider the effect its opposite—complexity—has on each of these. Complexity is a corrosive influence toward inattention, rashness and unfairness. “Keeping it simple” has the potential to contribute to human flourishing.

A Form of Entropy
Famously, Mark Twain is said to have apologized for writing a long letter, as he didn’t have time to write a short one. Like anything of value, simplicity takes effort. It is hard to keep things crisp, streamlined and intense. If we’re lazy, things get sloppy. There is a natural tendency toward disorder—rather like entropy—in our affairs. It’s easy to bolt-on quick-fixes, additional processes, roles, more words… cleaning things up and stripping them back to their essence can be hard work.

What We Do

Our projects deliver something of value. How well do we incorporate simplicity into what we ultimately deliver? Complicated things are undesirable. We should avoid elaborate solutions.

Engineers usually understand an “elegant” design as one that uses minimal elements and is easy to operate. I like the term; it says to me that there is beauty in simplicity, and that it is uncommon.

Good designers have…

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