It did, however, give me time to start gently probing our idea for it’s most obvious weaknesses, with the intention that we can begin to solve them before the intense scrutiny of next month’s labs.

One of the critical datasets for our application is notoriously complicated: routes between geographical places. A key challenge for us, therefore, is to layer a smooth interface on top of these ugly datasets, so that end-users can quickly and simply define their precise routes, with as few barriers as possible.

Simplicity is not easy, however. It is becoming increasingly apparent that simplicity is a pivotal factor for mass-adoption of a product, but one that few organisations consistently get right. Apple and Nintendo are two obvious examples of companies that both understand this importance, and deliver appropriately: few would argue that the iPod or Nintendo DS are ‘technically superior’ to their competitors, yet their simple interfaces have seen them quickly dominate their respective markets.

I’ll cover more specific details of why defining our routes will be particularly complex in a follow-up post, so that I can keep this post as simple as possible!

*** Dan