The concept of "simplicity" in design continues to interest the design and business communities. Don Norman furthers his discussion of the topic in the latest issue of Interactions, Simplicity is Not the Answer, and you can read a version of that article on Norman's web site. I also published an article in Appliance Design magazine, Clarity & Complexity.
What both articles have in common is addressing a misconception (either real or perceived) that users want simplicity - when in fact what they want is ease-of-use of complexity, or clarity (i.e. high functionality paired with high usability).
Norman and I address this challenge from slightly different perspectives - while I focus on human factors aspects of "complexity management", Norman suggests design principles to address complexity:
"Good design can rescue us. How do we manage complexity? We use a number of simple design rules. For example, consider how three simple principles can transform an unruly cluster of confusing features into a structured, understandable experience: modularization, mapping, conceptual models."
