The Simplicity Cycle

February 9, 2015
Ward (F.I.R.E.) an Air Force lieutenant colonel, offers an original yet unsatisfying look at how simplicity can improve the usability and beauty of a product. The book proceeds from the observation that the add-ons intended to improve products too often end up weighing them down. Ward admits that we shouldn’t be striving for simplicity as the end goal; we should be striving for quality. But simplicity, in his opinion, is a good path there, and aiming for it can help us strike the right balance. Ward’s intent is to help readers figure out that critical point at which additions become detrimental. Focusing heavily on design, Ward presents concepts that can be plotted on a simple Cartesian plane, such as the simplification slope and the negative goodness slope. Readers may well respond to Ward’s genuine-seeming optimism and enthusiasm, as in his exhortation to “head out into the unknown and make something beautiful,” but his intriguing ideas are ultimately not specific enough to make for a successful business manual. Broadly aimed and highly theoretical, this is a book that feels more like a magazine article run amok.

May 1, 2015

Ward, an engineer and a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force (F.I.R.E.: How Fast, Inexpensive, Restrained, and Elegant Methods Ignite Innovation) examines the complexity of systems. More complexity makes the system more difficult to manage, comprehend, design, or construct, he explains. At some point, the complexity makes things worse. The author starts with the "Simplicity Cycle" (complexity and goodness) and shows the how variables such as overcorrection, time, and other factors affect it. He uses case studies to illustrate the various concepts. Included in the book are a glossary of terms and bibliography of selected sources. VERDICT Project managers, office managers, and students and faculty of business will find this book helpful. It should be purchased with Ward's earlier work, F.I.R.E.--Lucy Heckman, St. John's Univ. Lib., Queens, NY

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