Notable passages from
The Laws of Simplicity by John Maeda
MIT Press, Cambridge, 2006
TEN LAWS
1 REDUCE The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction.
2 ORGANIZE Organization makes a system of many appear fewer.
3 TIME Savings in time feel like simplicity.
4 LEARN Knowledge makes everything simpler.
5 DIFFERENCES Simplicity and complexity need each other.
6 CONTEXT What lies in the periphery of simplicity is definitely not peripheral.
7 EMOTION More emotions are better than less.
8 TRUST In simplicity we trust.
9 FAILURE Some things can never be made simple.
10 THE ONE Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful.
THREE KEYS
1 AWAY More appears like less by simply moving it far, far away.
2 OPEN Openness simplifies complexity.
3 POWER Use less, gain more.
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1 REDUCE The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction.
How Simple Can You Make It? ‹---› How Complex Does It Have To Be?
SHRINK, HIDE, EMBODY
2 ORGANIZE Organization makes a system of many appear fewer.
SORT, LABEL, INTEGRATE, PRIORITIZE
3 TIME Savings in time feel like simplicity.
How can you make the wait shorter? ‹---› How can you make the wait more tolerable?
4 LEARN Knowledge makes everything simpler.
BASICS are the beginning.
REPEAT yourself often.
AVOID creating desperation.
INSPIRE with examples.
NEVER forget to repeat yourself.Design starts by leveraging the human instinct to relate, followed by translating the relationship into a tangible object or service, and then ideally adding a little surprise at the end to make your audience's efforts worthwhile. Or writing these steps in shorthand: RELATE-TRANSLATE-SURPRISE!
5 DIFFERENCES Simplicity and complexity need each other.
The more complexity there is in the market, the more that something simpler stands out. And because technology will only continue to grow in complexity, there is a clear economic benefit to adopting a strategy of simplicity that will help set your product apart.
6 CONTEXT What lies in the periphery of simplicity is definitely not peripheral.
How directed can I stand to feel? ‹---› How directionless can I afford to be?
7 EMOTION More emotions are better than less.
A certain kind of more is always better than a less—more care, more love, and more meaningful actions.
8 TRUST In simplicity we trust.
How much do you need to know about the system? ‹---› How much does the system know about you?
9 FAILURE Some things can never be made simple.
Concentrate on the deep beauty of a flower. Notice the many thin, delicate strands that emanate from the center and the sublime gradations of hue that occur even in the simplest white blossom. Complexity can be beautiful. At the same time, the beautiful simplicity of planting a seed and just adding water lies at even the most complex flower's beginning. A relatively simple bit of computer code can produce surprisingly complex visual art. Conversely, Google's complex network of servers and algorithms produces a simple search experience. Deeming something as complex or simple requires a frame of reference.
10 THE ONE Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful.
Key 1 AWAY More appears like less by simply moving it far, far away.
Key 2 OPEN Openness simplifies complexity.
Key 3 POWER Use less, gain more.
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