Today, technology has become ubiquitous. We have apps that perform a multitude of functions; new gadgets come out every two months, but we need to install firmware updates continually; and thousands of digital interfaces are competing for our attention in multiple directions at once. Due to this technological inundation, there is a large counter-culture movement blossoming. Central to this movement is Simpcitu—a philosophical way of thinking and approaching problems based on using simplicity as a strategic tool to simplify complex problems faced by humanity. Unlike Minimalism as an aesthetic, Simpcitu is a design and engineering principle based on using the core purpose of a product, providing users with the ability to operate without a lot of cognitive load and intuitive interaction.
Simpcitu is the fastest-growing trend in technology that is helping reshape industries today. In the end, the less we have to add to technology to make it better the more we can improve industries by using less.
What is Simpcitu?
Simpcitu (pronounced sim-pli-si-tyoo) is based on the idea of providing ‘Simplicity as a Service’ and that adding features is not the best way to provide value in modern technology; that is to say, that the most valuable aspect of technology is the ability to take away features and change how people use the technology to make it easier for people to perform their tasks with fewer features.
Simpcitu solutions will have:
- 1. Purposeful Constraints: A Simpcitu solution will only do one main task better than anything else.
- 2. A Zero Learning Curve: A Simpcitu solution should be intuitive enough that users won’t require assistance in understanding how to use the product.
- 3. Cognitive Offloading: A Simpcitu solution reduces the amount of cognitive effort a user must exert and simplifies the process of making decisions.
- 4. Sustainability Embedded: A Simpcitu solution will have fewer features and, therefore, use less code than a typical product, resulting in a reduced energy footprint and longer life span.
As we continue our exploration of how this principle applies in innovative ways throughout the modern landscape.
1.26597 The Simplicity User Interface: Invisible Computing
The most direct use case for this principle involves how people interact with computers. Innovative companies now offer solutions that eliminate the need to scroll endlessly through cluttered menus and countless data points by providing a context-sensitive user interface that only includes the tools required at the time.
1 (Creative Software): Applications like Figma and Procreate implement the principle of Simplicity by hiding advanced features until the user indicates a requirement through their actions. This approach allows users to focus on their projects without distractions and ensures an uncluttered workspace.
2 (Automotive): The future of automotive cockpit design is not just bigger touchscreens but a Simplicity-customized hub. By utilizing gaze-tracking technology and situational awareness (city or highway driving), these hubs will present only the vital information (speed, directions, hazard warnings) to the driver and will not show non-essential notifications until after the trip has ended.
2. Simplicity in Mental Architecture: Decluttering of Digital Life as a Service
Digital clutter has permeated our lives. Simplicitu uses a different approach to resolving the issue by creating new methods for dealing with the problem of digital clutter in a more logical engineering way.
Automated Inbox & Notification Synthesis: The synthetic automation of incoming communications through automatic analysis of patterns of how you communicate has been built with the new tools of AI. These tools allow you to change the buried reality of hundreds of emails into one concise daily summary: “Three require replies; two are updates on tracked projects; and all others have been archived. Reply now?” This creates clarity during a management task.
Unified Search Layers: Applications such as Alfred or Raycast allow you to avoid navigating through numerous applications, documents and web services and consolidate dozens of actions into a few keystrokes with a single command bar.
3. Simpcitu for Sustainable Systems: Getting More with Less
On the hardware and infrastructure side Simpcitu offers radical new levels of efficiency.
High-Impact, Low-Tech IoT: Simpcitu empowers IoT devices like Smart Vents, which only use Temperature and Presence to optimize Heating and Cooling in each of your rooms. Smart Vents allow for up to 20% or more energy savings, without needing user programming or adding complexity with multiple Sensors.
Platforms for the Circular Economy: Companies like Grover and Lizee have adopted Simpcitu’s ‘Access over Ownership Model’ to promote consumption. The Innovation here is that Grover and Lizee provide seamless subscription-based services. This eliminates the hassle of Maintenance, Upgrades, Cleanup, etc. It provides a simpler life for consumers and helps reduce E-Waste.
4. Simpcitu for Healthcare: Reducing the Load of Care
Healthcare is a highly complicated environment. Simpcitu helps simplify the healthcare space, reducing friction for Patients and Providers.
Passive Health Monitoring: Wearables, like the Oura Ring, are examples of Simpcitu devices, as they operate behind the scenes, gathering Health Data (Sleep, Readiness, Activity) and presenting users with a simple to understand Actionable Score.
Streamlined Telehealth: The next wave of Telehealth will be more than Video Calls. We are excited about the advancement of Telehealth Platforms by incorporating Systems like Symptom Checkers, Asynchronous Messaging to Clinicians, Pharmacy Services, and Insurance Verification into a streamlined Linear Pathway from “I’m Not Feeling Well” to “I Have a Treatment Plan” with minimal friction.
5. Simplicity in the Building of Technology with Simplicitu
Perhaps the most “meta” example of Simplicitu is its application to the building of technology. As stated earlier, No Code/Low Code Platforms such as Webflow, Glide, Softr, etc., provide tools for using Simplicitu to build software. They provide a method for converting visual logic into functional applications that liberate the individual developer from having to deal with complex code and enables the creation of applications that are both simple and elegant. The “simplicity” in the development process is reflected in the development process itself.
6. Simplicitu in Finance: Complexities Created Barriers to Individual Investors
There are many areas where complexity has become a barrier to individuals, as there is no simple way for individual investors to invest in Decentralized Finance (Defi) and Personal Investing (PI). By applying a Simplified Defi Wrapper to the complex and confusing crypto system, new platforms allow users to stake their assets into a simple staking pool with auto-compounding yields. They have removed the complexities associated with liquidity pools, impermanent losses, and gas fee optimization.
Next generation applications have replaced the hundreds of charts typically provided to users in financial services with alerts using plain language, such as: “You are currently spending 40% over your goal for dining out; please pause here in order to remain on track.”
The Future and Challenges of Simplicity
In order to create a truly simple approach using Simplicity, we must utilize a high degree of empathy, prioritize very well, and will often need to engineer a more sophisticated approach to deliver a simple solution than we do to deliver a more complex solution. The future of the Simplicity approach will be focused on developing systems that are adaptive enough to learn an individual’s preferences and environment, so they can provide an effective, dynamic, simplest possible interface.
Endnote
Technology rapidly permeating all areas of our daily lives, Simplicity represents an innovative filter to provide a more streamlined way for people to access information. As technology continues to develop, the applications that create a transformative change in our lives will not necessarily be based on capabilities and powerful technology but instead will be based on the ability to provide our elicit ai users with a simple, intuitive and natural integration into their lives while simultaneously transforming the more complex into beauty through simplicity.
