The Laws of Simplicity Applied to VR
5. Differences
Simplicity and complexity need each other.
We use an ecosystem of devices to navigate between simplicity and complexity. In VR, we won’t need to.
I’m writing this note from my iPad. I’ve been trying to shift all my personal tasks to my iPad, to avoid distractions on my work computer. Writing from an iPad also seemed like a good idea as I’ve been traveling often and I find the iPad the perfect travel companion. But after writing other four notes like this, I decided I needed to connect it to a full keyboard and a monitor, to make it faster and to avoid a pain in the neck — no pun intended. So this device, which was designed to be light and mobile, is now attached to a 30-inch monitor and a full keyboard with a trackpad. This simple device needed the added complexity of a desktop set up to help me perform this task. I still enjoy the simplicity on the iPad when I take it on the road, but I certainly appreciate the added complexity at this very moment.
We learned to navigate simplicity and complexity using different devices that are more appropriate for the task at hand. We use our smart watch for the simplest tasks like checking notifications, our phones and tablets for low to mildly complex tasks like reading and responding an email, checking the news or shopping, and we use computers — laptops or desktops, sometimes accompanied by multiple monitors and other peripherals — for highly complex tasks like working and multitasking. Today, we rely on an entire ecosystem of devices, but in the future we may not need to. I’m not suggesting that headsets will become the “one device to rule them all,” but I do believe they will cover a larger set of use cases than any other device.
Virtual interfaces can adapt and take any shape or form, from a minimal and non-intrusive display to large theater, to a multi-monitor setup. Different forms of input can also be used depending on the complexity of the task, simple hand gestures for scrolling or moving displays, virtual or physical keyboards for work. The ability to seamlessly switch between different setups is perhaps the strongest advantage VR headsets will have over other devices, and the reason VR headsets will eventually become less of a gaming device and more of an immersive computer.
Now you may be asking: why are you not writing this note from your VR headset then? There is still a long way to go for us to get there. First, virtual displays will need to increase density to accommodate for more content in a smaller form factor, to be able to replicate a similar set up you have on your computer and monitors today. Second, inputs like hands and virtual keyboards will need to increase precision and devices will need to easily connect with physical accessories like keyboards and trackpads for added productivity. Third, VR platforms will need to support more 2D applications that we use daily today. I hope all these things will happen soon, and I very much look forward to writing my first note from somewhere in the metaverse.
The Laws of Simplicity Applied to VR
Introduction: Inspired by John Maeda’s Laws of Simplicity.
- Reduce: The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction.
- Organize: Organization makes a system of many appear fewer.
- Time: Savings in time feel like simplicity.
- Learn: Knowledge makes everything simple.
- Differences: Simplicity and complexity need each other.
- Context: What lies on the periphery of simplicity is definitely not peripheral.
- Emotion: More emotions are better than less.
- Trust: In simplicity we trust.
- Failure: Some things can never be made simple.
- The One: Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful.
