MUSIC 256A: WEEK 7

Chp 7: Social Design

Principle 7.5: Simple is Satisfying

In finalizing my sequencer, I’ve been thinking a lot about simplicity. In fact, I’m actually pretty glad I went for my milestone on Wednesday instead of Monday because I think Wednesday really drilled in the idea that it’s okay and actually sometimes even better that a sequencer is simple. I felt like so many of the simpler sequencers I saw on Monday felt so intuitive and exciting for the user. I had been so in my head about visual features and trying to add exciting, novel, complicated interfaces that I lost track of the actual core goal of this assignment — creating sound in a fun, beautiful, interactive way.

The concept of simplicity has helped me take the Chunity skills I learned in the last assignment and focus on perfecting small tasks and simple goals instead of constantly sidetracking myself with new, lofty ideas and design goals.

Principle 7.3: Technology should strive to get out of the way of Human Interaction

The idea of simplicity also is deeply connected to the concept that technology should get out of the way of human interaction. Embracing simplicity of design lets me focus on perfecting latency, sounds, and intuitiveness of my sequencer in a way that makes it so much more enjoyable for the user. Simplicity is connected to perfecting function and creating an intuitive form. I feel like I always consider myself a “maximalist,” someone who loves scrapping together loud, eerie ideas and focuses on interesting ideas rather than getting lost in the details of a project. I have, however, been really enjoying the zen setting and process of my sequencer. It feels so different than my typical project style, but I enjoyed creating my milestone 1 more than I did any other assignment in this class and, honestly, any other assignment for a while.

I’ve been missing that feeling of getting lost in an assignment, of really trying and pushing to create something you’re proud of. I feel like the last few years (especially with online school) have felt like a lot of turning in the bare minimum, scraping by and getting things done as much as I can before a deadline. I feel like I’ve been used to being able to try hard in projects in fields I’m already comfortable with. I can push myself on an art project, but not so much on a DSP assignment. I think focusing on simplicity is the key to getting over that hurdle — I can concentrate on bare functionality and little details instead of getting frustrated by the fact that I’m in an unfamiliar realm.