????每天，我們得到的產品和服務都會把我們淹沒在越來越復雜的技術之中，而我們真正希望的是在設計、形式和功能方面的返璞歸真，是回歸基本因素的極簡主義。

????人們普遍把技術視為救世主，認為它能讓我們的生活變得更容易、更快樂，而且更有意義，在這種環境下倡導簡約概念聽起來似乎有違正統。確實如此。但與此同時，技術的突飛猛進也產生了大量數據，制造出了有上千種功能的智能手機，還帶來了任何智能生物終其一生都用不完的應用軟件。就運算和數據傳輸能力而言，我們使用的許多數字設備都比以往更為強大。轎車已經實現了自動駕駛，心率監測設備可以穿在身上，衣服上還能安裝傳感器。

????這些東西變得太復雜了，搞得我們簡直想干脆把它們關掉。我們希望以簡單而且易于理解的方式來享受科技帶來的果實，無論是下載電影還是晚上訂外賣。我們無法讓復雜的技術停止前進——實際上，我們喜歡這種復雜性帶來的益處。但作為設計師，我們意識到已經到了把這種復雜性完全隱匿起來，讓它不為人所見的時候了。

????許多做到了這一點的公司都變得家喻戶曉，比如網絡視頻供應商Netflix和汽車租賃網站Zipcar。Snapchat也是如此，這個應用程序正處于高速增長狀態。它能讓用戶發給別人的照片在幾秒鐘后神奇地消失。現在，人們每天通過Snapchat上傳的照片最多高達兩億張。也就是說，作為短信界的新生力量，Snapchat正以創紀錄的速度在這個服務領域向Facebook發起挑戰。大家還記得Facebook嗎？我那個正在大學的女兒最近告訴我，Facebook已經是明日黃花，Snapchat則很酷。原因就在于Snapchat在人們之間建立起了短暫、幾乎是轉瞬即逝的聯系方式。它不僅獨特，而且簡單。它的工作原理并不是那么關鍵，關鍵問題在于它為何如此的成功。風險投資公司IVP認為，Snapchat“在這個信息超載的時代罕見地讓人感到興奮，同時急于進行消費”。

????每個人都曾因為某種產品使用起來過于復雜而遭遇挫折。今天，我們所面對的不光是某種產品，還有圍繞這些產品的多種關系和渠道所形成的生態環境。這些讓情況變得更加復雜，也是產品需要簡化的另一個原因。看一看Nest Labs生產的Nest恒溫器吧，它簡單易用，讓人覺得舒心。通過外觀（亞光面處理）和功能（數字顯示、Wi-Fi連接），它把普通的恒溫器變得極為簡約和時尚，成為家庭必備的智能設備。

????Every day we are inundated with ever more complex technologies in the products and services we are offered. Yet what we really crave is a return to simplicity and back-to-basics minimalism in design, form, and function.

????Invoking the concept of simplicity might sound like heresy at a time when technology is generally regarded as a savior that makes our lives easier, more enjoyable and meaningful. That's all true. But at the same time the onslaught of technology has also engendered big data, smartphones with a thousand features, and more apps to chose from than any sentient being could ever use in a lifetime. Our many digital devices come fitted with higher computational power and faster data communications than ever before. Cars are driving without us at the wheel. A wearable device monitors our heart rate, and our clothing is embedded with sensors.

????The complexity of things has become so overwhelming that we want to turn it off. We want to enjoy the fruits of that technology in a simple and easy to understand way, whether it's downloading movies or ordering takeout food for dinner. We can't stop the march of complex technology -- and in fact, we like the benefits that complexity brings us -- but as designers, we realize that it's time to keep that complexity neatly tucked away and out of sight.

????Many services that do are hugely popular, like Netflix (NFLX) and Zipcar. And then there's Snapchat, the fast-growing app that allows you to send photos that magically disappear within seconds of viewing. Users are now sending up to 200 million photos each day, which means this newcomer to the mobile messaging space is, in record time, rivaling Facebook (FB) in this service. You remember Facebook? My college-age daughter recently informed me that Facebook is so, yesterday, while Snapchat is cool.

????Here's why: The fleeting, almost ephemeral connection that Snapchat offers is not only unique, but simple. How it works isn't as critical as why it is so successful. Snapchat, says venture capital firm IVP, "creates a sense of excitement and an urgency of consumption that is rare in this era of information overload."

????Everyone can relate to being frustrated by an overly complex product experience. And today, we're not just connected to a single product but to an ecosystem of multiple links and channels surrounding that product, which compounds the complexity. This is why products need to be simple too. Look at the disarmingly simple Nest thermostat from Nest Labs. In both looks (brushed metallic finish) and function (digital display and Wi-Fi connection) Nest transforms the otherwise mundane thermostat into an utterly simple yet stylish must-have smart device for your home.