Some things were invented as a tool, very simple, but never got updated. Why? Because the simplicity and the habit of using it worked and got implemented well into a daily life.
For example Keyboards, Instruments or glasses. Some things stay the same to honor a tradition or a culture, like said before, instruments. But others worked in their simple usability.
The first Keyboard had the same Look and arrangement of letters like nowadays. Of course the technique behind it updated to electronic devices.
It is not like no one tried to change them in their functionality and usability with hopes to make them even better or easier, but these inventions did not implement because first of all, it was an intervention in the learned usability of the products before and second of all, they tried to put more functions on it. People didn´t like that. Simplicity is key.
Do you know those “Call now” commercials, where they try to sell you a kitchen product that can do all the things? How many people who fell for it actually use it? At the end they think it is easier to just use a knife and cut vegetables before trying to unpack the gadget and clean every unreachable blade or whole afterwards. Putting too much into something makes it too complicated, especially when it is unpractical in size, storage or rechability.
Other inventions that always stayed the same for it’s simplicity:
Glasses, books, cutlery, pencils, money, etc.
This post opens up a question:
“But why are Computers and mobile devices working for us even though they are packed with functions, even more than we ever use?” – I will try to find the answer to that in my next post.
