RED-CAR

Resources - Elements - Dependencies - Comprehension - Appeal - Reliability

Introduction

The RED-CAR model is at the heart of the Really Simple approach, enabling the capture of structured thought for the key dimensions and attributes of simplicity. This model can be used either to simplify something that is already complicated or create something new without minimal complication. Therefore the status of complication or simplicity may move through a number of different states as the initiative progresses. It is not necessary to record all the states but it might be useful before you start as part of the definition stage, after the design phase and when the initiative is complete.

Thinking

Really Simple requires the the addition of some aspects and the reduction of others

In the context of RS, reduction is the recognition that you need to thoughtfully remove unnecessary building-blocks and add other characteristics that make the simplicity difference. Parts in this case include the ‘stuff’ that makes up the ‘thing’, namely resources, elements, and dependencies :

Elements are the building blocks of the thing. These can be physical or soft for something like a process or system.

Dependencies are necessary connections between the building blocks.

Resources are independent of the number of components or dependencies and can be physical, time or cost.

So what do you need to increase?

Fundamentally you need to increase the human-connection characteristics which break down into comprehension, appeal and reliability:

Comprehension recognises the importance of usability. The two underlying attributes of this are intuitiveness and ease of learning.

Appeal focuses on the importance of human 'desire’ or ‘interest’. This is probably the most challenging as it comprises usefulness, value and aesthetics.

Reliability calls out a much overlooked but very basic requirement. This breaks down into feature reliability and longevity reliability

The words ‘reduce’ and ‘increase’ are used deliberately because Really Simple is usually a journey. Less and more are the results of an RS initiative. Reduction and increase are the direction of travel you will take to move to an RS outcome.

Schematic

This schematic provides an overview of the RED-CAR dimensions and the attributes that sit below CAR.

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