It’s tempting to choose software for your business that’s chock full of features and capabilities, but this line of decision making can be problematic. Instead, it might be better to focus on minimalistic software, with only the features you truly need.
Whether you’re looking for an IT help desk or you’re hunting for better marketing automation software, minimalism might be your best criterion for making an effective decision.
Why is this the case? And how can you tell if a software platform is sufficiently minimalistic?
The Value of Minimalism
Let’s start by looking at some of the valuable benefits of seeking minimalism when choosing software.
- Developer expertise. The “quality over quantity” principle applies here. Some developers try to build apps with the intention of making them as big as possible, stuffed full of complex features. In some contexts, this can work, but it’s usually better to find a developer who focuses on doing a handful of core features perfectly. There’s only so much time in the development schedule, so platforms with limited numbers of features often come with higher quality than their counterparts.
- Fewer bugs. Each line of code is an opportunity for bugs to arise. And while it’s true that a competent development team can build a massive app with few, if any bugs, on average, you can expect the number of bugs and inconsistencies in an app to scale with its size and complexity. The bigger the app you’re using, the more riddled with bugs it will be.
- Easier learning and adaptation. Every new feature in an app is typically something new for your employees to learn. Even if they don’t need to learn it, they may be confused by its mere existence. Teaching employees to learn simple, straightforward, minimalistic apps is much easier than teaching them to learn overwrought juggernauts. Additionally, whenever the app undergoes a change, such as a design refresh, your employees will be able to adapt easier.
- Fewer misunderstandings. If there’s only one button to push to complete a task or enter data in an app, it’s almost impossible for someone to mess up. If there are 100 buttons to push, it’s only a matter of time before someone pushes the wrong one. Having more features and more options leads to more mistakes and misunderstandings. In some cases, the benefits of the additional features are worth the new risk they present, but with all other factors being equal, minimalistic platforms are superior.
- Time savings. Thanks to the combination of all these effects and more, working with minimal platforms leads to massive time savings. People spend less time learning, they spend less time correcting mistakes and misunderstandings, and they have a genuinely more enjoyable experience while using the platform. As an added bonus, this streamlined efficiency can lead to higher employee morale and higher retention.
- Reduced costs. As any inexperienced entrepreneur can tell you, using many different software platforms gets expensive – and fast. Purchasing a new app for the team that costs you $100 per month may not seem like that big of a deal, but when you have 10 such apps being used simultaneously, you’ll end up paying $1,000 per month, or $12,000 per year. Ideally, you’ll use the fewest number of platforms to accomplish your goals, ultimately reducing what you spend on software.
Evaluating Software Platforms for Minimalism
We’ve established that software platforms should be prioritized based on how minimalistic they are. But how can you tell if an app is sufficiently minimalistic and make better software decisions?
- Evaluate your needs first. Before shopping for any software platform, take a moment to evaluate your needs. What are the features you actually require?
- Take inventory of your existing platforms. Pay attention to the features available in your current suite of software platforms. Avoid overlapping functionality to reduce redundancy.
- Ignore overhyped marketing. Software developers that sensationalize their products by talking up loads of features should be met with skepticism. Don’t fall for marketing gimmicks.
- Compare platforms apples to apples. A platform isn’t strictly better than another simply because it has more features. Focus on how you’re going to be using each platform and the true value that each platform can provide your organization when making comparisons.
- Look for customization potential. Flexibility and customization are usually good, because it enables you to start with the minimalistic product and only add new features when necessary.
If you care about the usefulness of the software platforms you use, as well as their cost efficiency, it’s usually favorable to seek minimalistic, sleek platforms over their bloated, overstuffed counterparts. There’s nothing wrong with looking for a greater number of features or more advanced features in your platform, but you shouldn’t overextend your needs (or your budget) unnecessarily.
