Expensive solutions are the work of mediocrity

Doing less often requires doing more. The iPhone was far easier to use than other phones when it came out in 2007, but it took years to develop that kind of interface. Similar is the quote from Blaise Pascal that simply says “if I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter“. Writing a long letter is easy, but boiling it down to its essence takes much more work.

This is the idea that Ingvar Kamprad had while building the IKEA empire. He knew that quality and cost would be what set them apart (and it still does), but it’s hard to find the sweet spot between the two. Like the ideas above, designing high-quality affordable furniture is difficult. From Ingvar (via the Founders podcast):

“It is not all that difficult to reach set targets if you do not have to count the cost. Any designer can design a desk that will cost $5,000, but only the most highly skilled can design a good functional desk that will only cost $100.”

Taking it further, he added:

“Expensive solutions to any kind of problem are usually the work of mediocrity.”

“Expensive” is the tricky word here. You may purchase something for $100,000 that is worth every penny, yet a $300 item perhaps should have designed to only cost $100. This can apply to furniture, cars, clothing, websites, laptops and anything you can imagine.

If money is no object, design becomes simple. For the rest of us, breaking free of mediocrity is the way to meet that amazing place between high-quality and low cost.