“Simple cars need complex wheels.”
So said automotive designer Lowie Vermeersch about the Pininfarina Nido. When you make something so incredibly simple, a bit extra makes the entire thing pop.
The equivalent of nice rims in a security capability is that one thing we do that goes just a little bit further to make the end-user happy. It’s not something we have to do. We’re going to need wheels anyway. It’s a little extra.
It’s not something that adds much to the cost of the project. A nice set of rims runs around $1,000 with the average price of a car being $40,000. But its something the end-user notices and appreciates far above the price tag.
The path for designing a security capability goes from complexity to simplicity, taking those steps with empathy and understanding. As we follow that path, keep an eye open. Find opportunities to spend a fraction of the budget (say 1/40th?) on one detail that pleases people.
Simple security still needs chrome.
This article is part of a series on designing cyber security capabilities. To see other articles in the series, including a full list of design principles, click here.
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