I've been reading/watching a lot of BJ Fogg's work lately. He studies the persuasive power of technology for positive behavior change. You'll recognize my interest here if you read some of my recent posts on game design mechanics and the potential to integrate technology into real world learning.

(Check out his Youtube channel for some shorter videos that explain facets of his work "in 60 seconds")

Here's Dr. Fogg on simplicity:

BJ Fogg on Simplicity from BJ Fogg on Vimeo.

He makes a really important distinction around the 3:20 mark. We tend to think of simplicity as a feature of our technology, but he disagrees. Instead, he says "simplicity is a perception we have of the experience in accomplishing the task". This means that you have to consider the person and the context if you want to facilitate behavior change, not just the information you are giving them, or the medium you are using to deliver the information.

In the coming weeks, I'll write more about his 3-part behavior change model, summed up as "putting hot triggers in the path of motivated people" and try to explain how I see Motivation, Ability, and Triggers applied to teaching, business, and technology.

It's all fascinating stuff!