"Simplicity fuels many elements of good design, including ease of use, speed, visual appeal, and accessibility. But simplicity starts with the design of a product's fundamental functions. Google doesn't set out to create feature-rich products; our best designs include only the features that people need to accomplish their goals. Ideally, even products that require large feature sets and complex visual designs appear to be simple as well as powerful.

Google teams think twice before sacrificing simplicity in pursuit of a less important feature. Our hope is to evolve products in new directions instead of just adding more features."

Often when working on 360 feedback or performance reviews there is a tendancy to want to capture/cover every last item.  For example, a report that has every last piece of data analysis within it, or an appraisal form that captures anything that might be relevant.

But, a simple form that captures most of what is required is likely to 1) be completed and 2) leave the user with the energy to focus on what is important and not get trapped into form filling.  A report that provides the fundamentals and opens up the conversation is better than one that leaves you deep in data analysis.

We too believe that we should be providing exactly what is required - no more no less.  And we believe that less is often more when working on 360 degree appraisals and performance review forms.

Brendan