By Anam Kibria

Why has simple gotta be so complicated?

The theme for this weeks reflections was ‘Simple’. I learnt some interesting things, such as the umbrella is 4000 years old (thanks Rollo!) and that sometimes more sales is as easy as putting a ‘Best by’ date on the pack (thanks Malou!). 

It got me thinking about other problems that were solved with really simple solutions such as putting a mirror in elevators to make the journey seem shorter or like the time when the Americans spent millions trying to invent a space-compatible writing implement that would work in zero gravity and the russians simply went, “How about a pencil?”

We are always told to simplify our work as much as possible, whether its the strategy or the art direction or the copy. But why does it have to be such a laborious process? 

Albert Einstein reportedly said, “You never understand something until you can explain it to your grandmother.” Virtually all original solutions to a problem are complicated by lack of understanding.

With the D&AD deadline literally days away, I have spent the last week scrambling to find that super-simple one-sentence solution to the problem, yet it still evades me. I guess simplicity is something that can’t be taught, and it’s a process that you just have to patiently endure and when the idea thinks you’re ready, it’ll come.