Law 3: Time
“Savings in Time Feels Like Simplicity”
We spend most of our lives waiting for things to happen. We are waiting even when we aren’t fully aware of it; its the waiting we are aware of that causes us to become frustrated. To avoid the complications of waiting we always gravitate towards the quickest option available because we perceive this as being simpler. If it’s quick, its painless and easy. The time we save from choosing the fastest allows more time for other more important things. “choosing when to care less vs. when to care more lies at the heart of living an efficient but fulfilling daily life.” Maeda again applies the SHE method by describing how to shrink, hide and embody time. We can shrink or hide our perception of time by removing clocks and time displays - tricking the mind into not sensing the urgency of time constraints, but the flow of time cannot be stopped entirely. Our perception of passing time can be altered by how it is presented to us, or how it is embodied. This can be achieved through graphical displays that inform the user of how much time has passed, and how much time is left to pass. This knowledge gives the user comfort, and makes the process seem simpler. Time can also be altered through styling - making something appear faster or swifter. Although this tactic may be deceptive it positively reinforces the idea of saved time. Whatever can be done to make waiting shorter or more tolerable will ultimately make it simpler.
Law 4: Learn
“Knowledge Makes Everything Simpler”
Obviously it is simpler to do something when you know how to do it. But acquiring the knowledge is the hard part. In many cases we don’t want to take the time to learn something. We want instant results because it is simpler - It’s almost a paradox to learn when it takes time which we learned in law 3 should be reduced. Learning requires desire, in either the form of genuine desire to obtain knowledge, or motivation to learn for some sort of reward. The learning process itself can be made simpler through Maeda’s BRAIN method: focusing on the Basics, through Repetition,Avoiding the overwhelming, Inspiration from others, and Never forgetting to repeat yourself. Metaphors are useful in learning by putting knowledge into a familiar context. The ability to relate something to a common experience creates understanding. This understanding can be translated into new understandings and can become rewarding. We spend our entire lives learning and obtaining knowledge - this enables us to grow, each obstacle we overcome makes us stronger, smarter and better prepared for the next; therefore learning makes overcoming challenges and obtaining goals easier and life simpler.
