Opportunity Reduction

The healthcare ecosystem suits the restricted scope of our freedom of movement and ways of living. A complex system reduces the complexity of the health issues people have to deal with. Focusing on what matters by reducing the host of distracting offerings on the web and bringing all forces together on a single platform makes it possible to obtain digital healthcare services from a one-stop shop. The pandemic has also accelerated access to and acceptance of e-commerce and other online-based services among large parts of the population. And not least, we have learned from working at home that despite its complexity, digitalisation can lead to easy and quick solutions.

The collective slowing of pace as a result of the coronavirus pandemic has far more lessons for us, though. Illness imposes limits and forces everyone to take a long, hard look at themselves. Outlooks change, values and goals are reconsidered, matters are reduced to their essence. We learn to cope with gaps in CVs, both personally and professionally. It is almost as if the physical separation imposed on us by the distancing rules is making us take a mental step back too and concentrate on what is essential.

Complexity
reduces
complexity.

Our changed mobility means we are staying within a smaller range, paying attention to our own region and being less ambitious. At the same time, we are discovering to our great surprise the paradoxical realisation that concentrating on what is close at hand broadens our horizons. We are discovering big things in small details and small things in the big picture. The beauty of the flowers by the side of the road, the enchantment of stars twinkling in the heavens. We are learning not only how to pick things out, but also how to be selective.

People often want only to see and experience what they have always seen and experienced. But as the saying puts it, if you let go, you find you have both hands free. Weaning ourselves off old habits increases our willingness to be reflective, learn new things and open up new spaces.

ReduCtion

Zurich-based designer Lukas Zimmermann has taken his inspiration from the theme of “reduction”. The images are reduced in scale, but their clarity and simplicity of expression capture the movements they set in motion. He has created a series of 18 drawings on his computer, which have been printed on card. We take great pleasure in displaying his impressive works on the following pages.

Restart Animation