Big things should start simple. Draw the sketch, define the important lines, see the big picture. Test the simple project, accept ideas while the project is still manageable and enjoy the simplicity. Google Talk is an example of a very simple program that does a lot without a bloated interface.Designers rarely get to work on their dream projects. When I was researching instant messaging in grad school, the prospect of designing a new instant messaging product was fanciful at best. When I came to Google, the odds improved a bit. When I became the designer on Google Talk, it still didn't quite seem real until we launched today.
Google Talk is far from perfect, but it's a start, and we chose to start with simplicity. Big plans are in the works, but for now I'm enjoying it for what it is. Hope you do too.
(Chad Thornton, Google Talk team -
on the day Google Talk was launched, August 24 2005)