DEATH BY
A THOUSAND
PAPER CUTS

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT IN A COMPLEX WORLD

Alexandra Leisse

VP Product

@troubalex

alexandra@vibbio.com

MY CAREER IN
COMPLEXITY

“Complex things will require complexity.
It is the job of the designer to manage that complexity with skill and grace.” 
— Don Norman

COMPLEXITY
IS RELATIVE

MAGIC
vs
FULL CONTROL

COMPLEXITY
MEANS $$$

WE LOVE
CONSISTENCY

BUILD A CAR

MAINTAINING CONSISTENCY IS HARD WORK

“What’s the most ignored paradox in software development? Every time you add something you take something away.” 
— Jason Fried

MODULAR
vs
UNIFIED

DECISIONS
as
CONSTRAINTS

“Features that are simple in isolation
can become a contagion.” — Jon Bolt

GETTING TO
THE BOTTOM
OF IT ALL

“[…] a solution can only be as good as
your understanding of the problem you’re addressing.”
— Paul Adams

RUTHLESS PRIORITIZATION

“Any feature that doesn’t help solve problems for your audience should be thought of as a distraction, an unnecessary obstacle that undermines the value of your product.” — Jon Bolt

I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW

SUMMARY

  • Complexity is a qualitative concept that depends on its context
  • Complex products are generally perceived as superior and therefore more valuable
  • Consistency helps mitigate complexity in interfaces
  • Unlike our code, experiences can only be designed as a whole
  • Complexity and scope are two sides of the same coin
  • Just like scope, complexity needs to be actively managed on all levels, from the inherent complexity of a feature to the complexity of the entire (brand) experience
  • We cannot sensibly scope or design for an acceptable level of complexity without a clear product vision

“A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked.

The inverse proposition also appears to be true: A complex system designed from scratch never works and cannot be made to work. You have to start over, beginning with a simple system.”
— John Gall

TAKK FOR MEG

@troubalex

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