Make it simple

I am already beginning to get old. Whenever a new iOS or MacOS comes out, I dive right in to check it out. And I am always disappointed. Because many things suddenly feel strange. What does this button do? Why is this knob over there? How do I get rid of all these notifications that scream at me?! Everyone is talking about mindful design, about how important it is to reduce clutter and simplify our user interfaces so we don’t go crazy. But is there a company that is actually working towards these goals?

A computer operating system inspired by the design work of Dieter Rams would be nice. But to get back to my initial feeling that I'm starting to get old. I mean, it’s true, but isn’t a change in software design and software development and how our world suddenly works an amplifier of that feeling? I design and develop digital products for a living, but nowadays I’m more and more afraid that I’m losing interest in all these things because there are days when, to be honest, everything just gets on my nerves.

And this pandemic certainly doesn’t help to make this feeling disappear. And then I turn around because my daughter runs into my office or I hear my second daughter crying and all these things are secondary and irrelevant. And that gives me enough energy and willpower to just keep thinking about new digital products. Isn’t that weird?