Making something simple can be a very tricky thing to do. Historically, Apple has been fantastic at this, with hugely complex products that have a very simple and intuitive UI. As I shared a few years ago, many things start out simple, gradually become more complex, and then need to put in some work to become simple again.
The example of how Microsoft might have packaged the iPod is a perfect example of that. Apple is willing to put in the work to make a design simple, whereas Microsoft tends to just put everything on the box.
In her book “The Creativity Leap“, author Natalie Nixon shares a quote from jazz bassist Charles Mingus that sums it up perfectly:
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity.
Most of us are more creative than we give ourselves credit for, and the ability to take a complex product or idea and make it simple to understand is a talent that will never go out of style.
