Must a design always be as simple as possible?

I recently read a piece on Core77 entitled The Simple Truth by Nick Fosta. In it he pushes back against the current design trend to simplify all the devices with which we interact. Think of the seamless interactions that we've come to expect from smart phones, computers, and appliances. He makes the point that the fundamental reason to simplify is to increase efficiency (and thus productivity). While this is a good goal for many products, we as designers often overlook an alternative goal- instead of designing for simplicity of interface, sometimes we need to design to maximize enjoyment of interface. Often there is delight in learning to use a new device, and peeling back the layers of complexity to discover seemingly hidden truths about the product. In discovering the nuance of a product, the user develops a personal relationship with it, and thus a deeper emotional connection.

This is not to say that products should be designed to be difficult to use. Instead, we need to remember that efficiency is not the only goal. Creating products that foster mastery, and craft gives the user room to develop a personal relationship with a product.

Consider craftsman and artists. They spend years honing difficult skill sets and ultimately wield their craft with a seeming effortlessness. Behind that seeming ease, though, are years of difficult training on tools, or with tasks that are not designed with maximum simplicity. The craftsman is intimately familiar with the intricacies of his tools. The artist learns how their medium reacts differently to slightly varied techniques. The result of their years of training is not only a skill set that produces magnificent works, but perhaps more importantly a relationship with their craft that is personal, private, and that gives them an intense sense of pride.

Our job as designers is to develop products that give their users delight. Whether that delight comes from a sublimely simple interface, or from an interface deliberately developed to inspire deep interaction and learning, our job is to make users happy. Mr. Fosta's article is a reminder that we must not become fixated on one set of design goals and try to apply them to all designs. We must always remember the most important tenant of design- remember the users, and design to delight them.

Nectar Kickstarter project wrapped up

As of today, we have officially wrapped up our inaugural Kickstarter project. This morning we shipped out the last Nectar seat clamps to our wonderful supporters. The project was quite a ride, and a ton of work, but in the end it was everything we had hoped for, and more. The Nectar project was a great way to take one of our speculative in-house designs, and turn it into a real product for people to enjoy. The end result is a series of beautiful clamps living on bikes from Portland to Poland, and from Australia to Austin. We took what normally would be just a conceptual design, and brought it to life using the Kickstarer platform. It was a completely new process to us, and worked remarkably well.

Over the course of the Kickstarter project, we learned many lessons that will help in other aspects of our business. We learned about generating publicity through our social networks, and about getting bloggers excited enough to write about our project. We learned about the value of well connected bloggers, and building relationships with them. We learned about the value of communicating honestly and constantly with our backers, and ultimately we gained significant experience in getting our message out to a broad audience.

Of course this project also played to several of our strengths- industrial design, engineering, sourcing, production management, logistics, marketing materials, and packaging design. Every project like this that we take on helps us learn new lessons, and sharpen our skills so we can provide better, faster, and more accurate service to our design clients.

In the end, the Nectar Kickstarter project was a ton of work. It cost us significant time, and resources, but it helped us get our name out to the outdoor community. We are glad that we dove into this project, and we plan to share the lessons that we learned with our clients. And who knows- maybe a Kickstarter launch will be just the thing to help launch their design to the world!

Why we design

Last night I attended the final Junto meeting in SLC. It was the culmination of 6 weeks of entrepreneurship mentoring by Greg Warnock and the crew from Mercato Partners. The program focused on helping entrepreneurs build their networks, learn the core skills of sales and marketing, and put some of these lessons into practice. Last night, though, the focus was on the broader theme of using business as a vehicle of purpose. What do I mean when I say that business should be a vehicle of purpose? It is simple-without a driving purpose, business is an empty pursuit. A business can be financially successful, but without purpose, that business will not be fulfilling, and isn't that the whole point of hanging out your own shingle? People start businesses because they want to do something that matters to them. They want to spend their time doing something intrinsically meaningful, and maybe leave a small mark on the world in doing so. Without purpose, business is empty.

My purpose in life is to create. I've spent my life diving deep into creative pursuits. Painting, sculpting, product design, cooking, furniture building, music composition, classic car restoration, architecture, and writing have each consumed me. To me, the process of creating is art, and in that art is fulfillment. To create is to add to the human experience. Each creation adds to the colossal tapestry that we have been collectivelyweaving since the beginning of time. My purpose is to enrich this ever growing tapestry.

This is why Swarm exists. The founding partners (Devin, Wes, and I) each spent several years working for traditional companies, learning how to design, market, launch, and sell successful products. Many of these companies, though, felt empty. They were bogged down with policies that stifled creativity, and their sole focus was on profits. They lacked a greater purpose.

We founded Swarm as our vehicle of purpose. Swarm exists to channel our passion for creating. Our purpose is to spend our time creating rich, meaningful work. We have a deep knowledge of product design, production, sales, and marketing, and weshare this with our clients because our goal is to help them make their visions a reality. Nothing brings us more joy than helping a client make their mark on history with a creation of their own. This is why Swarm exists. This is Swarm's purpose.

Actual product review

Devin has been working super hard to get The Goat and Nectar and Elixir into the hands of product testers. We just got confirmation that Gear Tested has received The Goat ski sling, and an Elixir seat clamp. Be sure to watch their site for the reviews of these 2 great products from Swarm. And remember, Swarm doesn't just design it's own sweet products. We'd love to do some product design work for you! We have a growing portfolio of product development, sourcing, marketing, and web design that showcases our focus on clean design. Shoot us an email, or give us a call. We'd love to talk about your product!

More blog love from Pedal Consumption

Our friends over at Pedal Consumption shared some blog love today for our Nectar and Elixir project on Kickstarter.

Head over to their site to check out their great blog!

The NECTAR and ELIXIR are live on Kickstarter! Check it out today!

Everybody head over to Kickstarter to check out the NECTAR and ELIXIR seat clamp / bottle opener for your bike. If you want every ride to end well, you'll definitely want to get your own NECTAR fixed seat clamp, or ELIXIR quick release seat clamp. They both have a built in bottle opener, look sweet, and will bring a smile to your face every time you ride!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/swarm/nectar-and-elixir-bike-seat-clamp-bottle-openers

Nectar and Elixir launching on Kickstarter Feb 7!

Remember those sweet new products we introduced about a month ago, right here- Nectar and Elixir? Well, we are finally ready to launch! Like we explained, we are trying out Kickstarter as a launch platform, since it connects cool projects with cool people. Make sure you head over there and check out our project. If you like it, donate, and we'll send you your very own Nectar or Elixir in April as a thank you! Check out the other cool projects, too. Kickstarter has a bunch of awesome people with great projects, and they need your support, too.

More images after the jump...

Prosthetic tentacle

Check out this design project by Kaylene Kau on Coroflot. She has taken the traditional prosthetic arm and shaken it all up.

Why make a complicated mechanical hand with actuaries and joints when you can just make a simple tentacle? And besides, who wouldn't want a sweet sweet robo-tentacle? If I was missing an arm I'd definitely go for it!

The beauty of this design is that it is willing to break from tradition and try a completely new way of giving amputees some dexterity. Instead of creating a complex duplicate of the missing part, she has opted to augment the human form with octopus technology. Mechanically this is a much simpler solution- built like one giant finger with many joints instead of an entire hand. Two "tendons" and a simple motor are all that are necessary.

More photos after the jump.

Great design, Kaylene! Via Wired.

Behavioral design

Today I had the extreme misfortune of having to sit through some dysfunctional corporate board meetings. Thankfully, the wireless signal was strong, and I was able to catch up on some of my blog reading. I was looking at the last few days of Gizmodo's posts, and came across the brilliant winner of a Volkswagen design contest. Volkswagen called the contest their "Fun Theory" series. The point of the theory, according to Kyle VanHemert, is that "people will do the right thing if you make the right thing fun to do."

The winning entry was brilliantly simple- set up a traffic camera that sends tickets to speeders, and puts law keepers in a contest to win that money. Basically, by driving the speed limit, you are entered into a lottery to win the revenue from the tickets sent to speeders. As VanHemert so eloquently states, "automatic auto-karma."

Most amazing product ever- coming soon...

In the coming weeks Swarm is going to be releasing what may prove to be the most amazing product in the history of the world. First there was the wheel in 4,000 BC. For thousands of years people ignored its true potential until the summer of 1817 when the good Baron Karl von Drais decided to put two wheels together to create what would eventually become the bicycle. Over the following two centuries people made incremental improvements on his design, and slowly the technology progressed to its current state. Bikes have been designed to meet a variety of needs within human society- transportation, fitness, delivery, getting there on time, population control, and being just like all the different people.

Following roughly the same timeline as the wheel, beer is thought to have been developed around 3,500 BC in the area that is now Iran.

Though beer and bikes have been following parallel paths for thousands of years, and beer has often been linked closely with the subculture that sprang up around bicycles, the two have always been separate.

Swarm has finally bridged the gap. We have developed the most important device known to mankind since the invention of both the wheel and beer. What is it? We can't tell you. We can, though, say that it will make biking more rewarding...

Sneak preview after the jump.