The Design Guru Observes

Lately I've been foraying into the world of technology, as many of you may already know, I (okay with the help of Momma TWIMO) purchased a brand spanking new Mac Book Pro. SWOON. I'm so in love with it, although I have been a little timid in jumping into the transition between the PC and Mac worlds. Fellow TWIMOer E, has convinced me to dive in and I'm taking her advice, so full steam ahead I'm becoming a Mac (I just need to add all 12 of the apple stickers that came with my computer to my car's bumper to make it official. Can we talk about genius viral marketing?)

Any hoo in the process of getting a new computer by the design geniuses at Apple and needing a new wireless router to go along with it, I have noticed the move in product, packaging, and instructional design to be shifting into a phase that calls for ease and simplicity. For instance, Apple is so convinced that their products are so user friendly that they do not require instruction booklets (disclaimer to Apple: I got an ipod touch which came with no instructions whatsoever and I did not know it had a power button until Miss Alison showed me. Apple, some of us just aren't as smart as you). Coming from the world of the PC this is a mind blowing concept. When I opened the sleek white apple box I was greeted simply by my computer. Beneath it was a tab that helped me remove the machine from the box and then I found beneath the computer two neatly packaged books, one labeled For Everything Mac and the other For Everything Else. How simple and direct could that be! Genius. Also, let's not forget the sleek, shiny, design. I've included pictures of my PC clunker (which is only 3 years old) and the new baby for comparison.

My Big Bertha Computer with the slim, sophisticated, just like Justin Long mac. (Ignore my messy desk. If you know me this should not be a suprise.)

Those famously simple instruction books. I'm treasuring these forever.

The packaging on my router was similarly simple. The router lay one top then a tab opened to a compartment beneath the router to reveal the power cord and LAN cable. There was a simple USB drive stuck in the lid that said insert in computer and begin. No manuals. No extra pieces of paper to keep and hoard. This new way of life could really help me streamline.

Nice, right?

I've come to the conclusion that this influx in simplicity is being brought on by the Millennial generation (I am a strong believer in the power of generations to create paradox shifts in a whole society's way of thinking, as my SCAD friends know.). As a generation we demand simplicity in our overly complicated lives. We want to be able to do things quickly and easily, yet we want our technology, objects, packaging to go above and beyond and provide us with lots of function. What an oxymoron create something simple that has many functions. I think it can be done as they companies are starting to prove. Now if they would just hire me to further their simplistic endeavors.

Oh and what cute laptop does not need a cute laptop bag? Check out the one I got in my absolute fav. color scheme! (Couldn't find a picture that blogger would let me post, sooo check it out via this link!) I got the one in the Baroque pattern. So happy!