Desperate Simplification

While technology offers many useful tools and shortcuts that make our lives easier, in other ways, it can generate increased complexity, not less. Because of this, simplicity became a coveted element of every interaction, product, or service we encountered. Take the iPod Shuffle, Apple’s cheapest and smallest iPod model, for example. It holds just 240 songs and has no screens, but its simplicity and battery life made it a hit. Those who are similarly frustrated with overly complex social networks may be drawn to Path, the social networking platform where people can only have 50 friends.

Consumers are increasingly the tools and personal processes that allow us to feel more in control of the deluge of gadgets, devices, and screens we interact with. As people seek more balance in their lives, entrepreneurs and smart marketers will build more products and sites that make technology management more manageable.