Some time ago I found the “needs and ideas” image below while browsing for some engineering related memes. First, found it funny, but after a thought the fun faded. This little image reveals the universal law of the modern world: The Law of Complicated Answers to Simple Questions.
You know the feeling. You’re humming along in life, and a small, perfectly reasonable need pops into your head. Something like, “I wish I had a simple way to jot down a grocery list.” So you go looking for a solution. You type “digital notepad” into a search bar, and what you find is… an existential crisis.
You are no longer looking for a notepad. You are now evaluating a “Multi-Sensory, AI-Powered, Cross-Platform Synergistic Life-Management Ecosystem.” It doesn’t just hold your list for milk and eggs. It wants to analyze your purchasing habits, predict your future avocado needs, share your list with your fridge (which you don’t have), and send motivational quotes to your smartwatch when it detects you’re lingering too long in the cookie aisle.
All you wanted was to remember the bread.
This phenomenon is everywhere. It’s like every company is terrified of creating something that is merely excellent at one thing. They’re in a relentless race to add features, convinced that we, the consumers, are desperately crying out for more bells and whistles.
Why so?
I don’t think it happens by some malice. I think it’s a blend of genuine innovation and a feverish desire to stand out. In a crowded market, it’s hard to shout, “Hey! Our product does the same thing as everyone else’s, but reliably and well!” It’s much easier to shout, “OURS HAS A BUILT-IN AI ASSISTANT THAT CAN WRITE HAIKUS!”
Differentiation becomes more important than function. A new feature, no matter how niche, becomes a new bullet point on a marketing sheet. And before you know it, the simple, straight-forward tool you longed for is buried under a digital landfill of “value-adds” you never asked for.
If so, so what?
Another trend arises at the same time – the craving for simplicity. As a product designer, I see a quiet rebellion brewing. There’s a growing appreciation for the “dumb” TV that’s just a beautiful screen. For the note-taking app that brilliantly does one thing. For the toaster that toasts bread—imagine that!—without trying to suggest artisanal recipes based on the darkness of your crunch. There is a profound, almost meditative joy in using a tool that is perfectly suited to its task, with no extra fuss. It feels respectful. It feels intelligent.
So the next time you’re shopping for a solution and find yourself bewildered by a list of 50 features you’ll never use, take a deep breath. Smile at the absurdity. And know that you are not alone in your quest for the digital equivalent of a comfortable, well-worn sweater.
…because sometimes, a hummer is just a hummer. And that is a beautiful thing.