Roots

I went to a birthday party last weekend for a very special little one-year old.  It was so much fun to watch him eating his cake and playing with his friends.  The ways that children entertain themselves and each other is so fascinating.  What was also very interesting was the birthday boy's reaction to his gifts and the other children's reactions.  A number of the gifts were quite high-tech -- lots of flashing lights, buttons to push, sounds and songs warbling out of the speakers.  He played with them briefly, showed them to his friends, who poked at them as well, but then attention was drawn to other things or the boxes in which the gifts came!  One of the gifts that seemed to have the most impact was a simple set of building blocks.  They were made of a special hard foam that's environmentally friendly and non-hazardous, which made them prime for the chewing and drooling that was going on. 

It got me thinking about the expression "going back to basics" or "going back to one's roots."  I always then think of a tree, with its roots digging deep into the ground, unseen but oh so important in terms of the health and stability of the tree! 

So, what's this got to do with anything?!  I'm still working on my new website, probably because I've been letting myself get caught up in some bells and whistles that I thought would be cool to have on there.  But, attending the birthday party has reminded me how important it is to keep it simple.  Simplicity doesn't mean amateurish, not elegant, or without functionality; it just means that there's a good reason for each element being adopted, that it is centered around the mission and purpose of the site and that it imparts information in a clear and communicative way.  So, back to the drawing board to pare things down and to keep it simple.  Ah, I feel better already and hope to launch very soon!