Do You Need a Magic Pocket?

DropBox just came out with a video explaining what it is. It's like a "magic pocket."

Now that DropBox has an iPhone app and syncs all your stuff seamlessly between your work computer, home computer and your mobile phone, it seems like it truly is a magic pocket that you can always reach into.

Here's the video:



It looks like DropBox made the video to better explain its features and simplify how one starts using it. They relate it to a "magic pocket," which I think is a brilliant metaphor. A few years ago I wanted my "Google calendar in my pocket," and now that I have a smartphone that does that, I feel like all my info is always within reach...like a magic pocket.

The DropBox team hired a video production company named Common Craft to make the video. Smart move. They've made videos to explain many of today's complex Web 2.0 apps, ideas and processes.

Kudos to the DropBox team for not only having a great web application but for effectively explaining what could be too complex for some, in a simple way using a creative metaphor.

Not to get too off-track, but we live in a world where simplicity makes economic sense:

• Dating services used to me a huge expense and a long process. Now, a "picture and a paragraph" is really all we care about.
• Startup companies are using simple, plain-English "pitch decks" to express a big idea to venture capitalists rather than a full-fledged business plan.
• Redbox respects the spontaneity of a movie craving.

The economics of simplicity is what makes CommonCraft so powerful and useful. Here are some other hard-to-explain concepts that CommonCraft explains in plain English:

Have you struggled to explain Twitter to your parents? Try this:



Are you confused when somebody tells you they're a "social media expert?" Well this is what they do:



Worried about surviving a zombie attack? Follow these instructions to stay safe:



For more information about Common Craft, check out their blog.