IMO; Button bloat for all jobs could be cleaned up by:

1. Creating AoE versions of all Single Target abilities
2. Create Single Target versions of all AoE abilities
3. Add an "AoE stance"; Having it on means that you are using the AoE version of the abilities, having it off means that you're using the single target version. (or, just have everything cleave and make it even simpler)

With a couple of caveats:

1. Healers would continue to have their current DPS kit given how small it is, their stance would only affect heals
2. Most buffs would continue being party-wide regardless of stance
3. Numbers would be obviously be tweaked (lowered) for the AoE version to maintain balance

AoE fights are already boring due to the stripped down AoE rotation on most jobs and some jobs have significantly better AoE kits than others. For bard especially, this would mean Wanderer's Minuet wouldn't be bad for AoE (Pitch Perfect would be an AoE ability when you have AoE Stance on) and Mage's Ballad would be just as useful in single target as it would be in multitarget. It means that they don't need to mess too much with AoE balance since it should just match ST balance.

Making the AoE abilities a "XXX potency then XX% less for additional targets" will also make targeting at least somewhat important during those pulls.

It also allows for room to add complexity for both single target and AoE instead of being limited by each other in addition to teaching people their rotation better since they don't need to learn a ST AND an AoE rotation.