We have this tendency to think things are much simpler than they are. Brad Frost pointed this out a few months ago with his piece here on the Pastry Box about the word “just”.
We say it to individuals, but also to groups of people, to organizations, to entire industries.
"Why don’t you just…"
Fix your websites. Improve this archaic process. Use this new technology.
We’re a community of problem solvers, and that’s a great skill to have. But we can’t solve problems we don’t actually understand. And much as we might be loathe to admit it, problem solving isn’t simply a matter of coming up with the right answer. Truly solving a problem requires finding a solution that can actually be implemented with the resources at hand.
I’m as guilty of this as anyone, believe me. Somewhere along the way, my critical-thinking skills got distilled down to looking at a situation and asking, “Why is this broken?” or “Where did they make the wrong assumptions?”
Those questions introduce assumptions of their own though; that I know more about this problem than the people living with it, for one.
These days, I’m trying to take a step back and ask, “How did this come to be?” instead. “What am I not seeing here?” is a nice follow up.
Next time you’re tempted to jump in with a “Why don’t you just…” I invite you to do the same.
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Apps are greedy. They demand to be constantly played with, refreshed, updated — and buzz at you with glaring red eyes when ignored.
Just as a thought experiment: what would an app without any interactions be like? Something you put on the wall, or on your desk. You glance at it a couple times a day. Its face isn’t bright, and doesn’t flash with bright colors and sound.
What if an app acted more like a clock?
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If you want to publish a thought on the Pastry Box Project, we have a page that explains how to proceed.
At the Pastry Box, we don't take the question of content preservation lightly. You can read about our philosophy on that matter.
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If you want to know more about the Pastry Box Project, you can read our about page, or the genesis (and goals) of the project.
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There are not only pieces of software talking to each other behind this website. There are humans too. The Pastry Box is brought to you by Alex Duloz and it is edited by Katy Watkins.
You can follow @thepastrybox on Twitter. For direct inquiries, get in touch with @alexduloz or @_KatyWatkins. Alternatively, you can send an email to "hello", followed by the project’s Internet address.
