Doing Stuff Differently
There's lot's of really cool software programs out there. They range from those that have a really elegant, slick interface to others which may be weak on the graphics side - but have very powerful analytical tools. From my experience, it seems that the more powerful the tools, the less interesting the graphics. And the cooler looking the software, the less powerful the tools. Interesting conundrum.
Lately, I've been experimenting with programs that reside on both sides of the spectrum. They're all good - for different reasons. However, I can't ever imagine having a long-term relationship with any of them. So the trick - is to have a balance of just the right tools - with the right look.
Why put a jet engine in a Volkswagen?
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As we begin planning our 3rd generation of ArchiOffice, this particular question is one which is keeping me up at nights (yup, it's already 1:44am - and I'm still working). While I'm rarely satisfied with the status-quo, the more I look at other software programs, the more confident I am that what we've built so far - in ArchiOffice, is on the right track.
But we have far to go to make this as powerful and simple as I dream it can be. Like a child's first trip to a playroom - we shouldn't need training on how to use the objects before us. It should be totally innate. Do we really need so many bells and whistles? My favorite example of simplicity and sophistication in software is manifested in SketchUp
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I think Sketchup is a good analogy of what is both elegant, simple and so powerful that you can do almost anything you want. What appears so simple on the surface is incredibly complex underneath. It does many things that other CAD programs lack, but does it in a way that can be very intuitive. Intuition is the key to perceived simplicity.
Sketchup is by far my favorite design software. How do you think Archioffice compares in its approach to firm management? I am intrigued by programs that are orginally developed for the MAC OS but then are adapted to Windows.
I'm highly self critical and don't believe ArchiOffice is as simple as it really could be. We're working on this, but at the moment, it's not really a good analogy to compare it to SketchUp. For one thing, SketchUp is really doing just one thing and it does it very, very well. ArchiOffice is doing dozens of things.
If we were just a simple time card program - sure we could be really simple. Or, if we were doing just document management - it would be fairly simple. However, we're trying to integrate many simple things into one single program Once you start doing this, the purity of a simple software application starts to get muddled.
At this point, as we are in the beginning stages of a new build, we're looking into making it simpler and even more intuitive. One aspect where we have done a good job, is making it all appear simple and friendly. Unlike some of our competition who make software that is not only complex, it looks complex, ArchiOffice is working toward a different strategy.
Yes, we were originally developed on the Mac - and that might be a factor in our goal for elegance and simplicity. But more than the operating system - the fact that we're driven by Architects - people trained and who have a passion for design, is what makes us different. We're going to work hard to design the software for the user and not just flex our muscles. Must be the "less is more," approach we all got in Architecture school.