The simplicity revolution

A revolutionary new video camera went on sale in the UK at the start of this week. Straight after launch it rocketed into Amazon’s best-seller list, just as it did in the States last autumn. Over there, this camcorder has gone from nowhere to grab almost 20% of market share in under a year.

It must be a feature-packed, do-it-all gizmo, eh? Presumably, it is to video what the iPhone is to mobile calls. It will have full HD recording capabilities, a huge zoom, a touch screen, face detection and more besides. Won’t it?

Well, no actually. This incredibly popular gizmo is called the Flip. It sells for just £99.99 and it’s about as simple as video cameras get. For a start, it’s small – about the size of a mobile phone. It has a weeny 1.5” screen and only three main buttons, plus a nav button.

Should gadget be easier to use, or do you like tons of features? Let us know your thoughts on the message board.

The top model has 2GB of built-in memory, which enables you to record up to 60 minutes of video at 640 x 480 resolution.

So, not much in the way of features then. But that’s the whole point. The Flip is dead simple and remarkably popular. Much as we'd like the excuse to make a pun about the Flip flopping, it's actually been flying off the shelves. The main reason for this is that it’s stupidly easy to use. In fact, it’s such a straightforward gadget they’re even selling it in Toys R Us.

Simple video

Press the big red button and you’re recording. There are no settings to worry about, no focusing to get caught up with. When you’re done, press the button again. Unfold the USB connector from the casing and plug the unit into the PC.

All the software you need is stored on the Flip, and it automatically integrates with popular video sites. So, anyone can bung their video online even if their most recent encounter with a YouTube was under the kitchen sink.

Feature: The menace of multi-purpose

It’s a gadget for people who don’t want complexity and don't want to spend several hours wading through an instruction manual before using their new toy. And, let’s be honest, that’s most of us.

The more we get into our gadgets, the more we find ourselves chattering away in some kind of arcane code about 1080p, HDMI, refresh-rates, and the like. But how much more fun is it when you pick up a gadget and it just works?

Classic design

Look at some of the phones released by Nokia in recent months. The mobile manufacturer is still firmly committed to its feature-packed smartphones, but it’s also gone for a back-to-basics approach with the ‘Classic’ range.

Its 6500 is no market leader in terms of technology. It only has a 2MP camera, it won’t help you with sat-nav if you get lost and – heavens above – there’s no touchscreen either. But it’s small, light, looks beautiful and, most importantly, it's simple enough to be used straight out of the box.

Feature: Do we really want simple gadgets?

Nintendo knows all about the importance of simplicity – just look at the immense success of the Wii. While both the PS3 and the Xbox 360 have shifted huge numbers of consoles, it’s only Nintendo’s motion sensitive machine that can claim to have sold videogaming to people that don’t like games.

The key to it is the pick-up-and-play easiness of the controllers. Just grab a Wiimote, wave it around like a tennis racquet and – hey presto! – you’re serving on Centre Court. There's no explanation needed, no requirement for lengthy instruction manuals and no learning curve.

Feature creep

On the flip-side of these smart, clean gadgets are those laden down with ultimately unnecessary features. There's a name for this phenomenon - 'feature creep'. Wikipedia sums it up rather nicely as ‘baroque over-complication rather than simple, elegant design’.

Manufacturers start off with a lovely, simple gadget that does its job very well. Then they think, 'well, we've got to give the customer a bit more', so they start sticking more features on it. The number of extra functions creeps upward, until you've got a bloated gadget that tries to do almost everything, but is cumbersome to use.

Look at your MP3 player for example. It does a fine job of playing tunes and a passable one at displaying video. But is it really the best place for a calendar? Or a stopwatch?

Consider the average digital camera or camcorder. Why does the control interface have to be so complicated? Perhaps your camera could be £10 or £20 cheaper if it didn't include a feature that waits until your subject smiled before it takes a picture. Are such additions really that important?

Consumers don't seem to think so. A survey at the start of the year found 75% of people felt manufacturers should be encouraged to make simpler versions of their products. Your average punter doesn't care about all the tiny extras, they just want something that does the key job they bought it for.

It's something further proven by the mass-market appeal of gadgets such as the Flip and the Wii. If the trend continues, we'll see complex gadgets become more niche, and simplicity being the way of the future.

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