I’ve just completed John Maeda’s The Laws of Simplicity. Deftly written, Maeda is a master at the art of simplicity – it’s reflected in his graphic work, and it is obvious that he is trying to wrestle with what it means to apply the idea to his life.
As written in a previous post, following my reading of the preface and the first law (REDUCE), I was immediately inspired. In fact, so much so, that in making decisions about the decor and feel of my new office (a minor headache at the moment), I opted for a simple and clean look. (I am still questioning what else I can SHRINK, HIDE or EMBODY within my office).
I have a feeling that I will re-read this book many times over the next few months, years, decades, hoping to gain more and more understanding about how to best embrace simplicity in my work, my design, my art and my life.
Here’s a brief compendium of what I got from my first reading. For a further understanding, read the book or Maeda’s blog – he says it much better than I can.
1. REDUCE – The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction. (This is the first law). Not only is a thoughtfully reduced product (or lifestyle) more appealing, it actually helps to enhance the overall experience. Imagine getting rid of the fluff and extra things that we don’t need. Deleting these distractions provide for a much more memorable interaction. You have to juggle these two questions: “How simple can I make it?” and “How complex does it have to be?” (p. 01).
2. Gestalt is Good. Organizing and streamlining has a huge effect on how people perceive your product. Maeda’s example is the evolution of the iPod – think of the various controls that have graced the different generations. The current controls (in which the buttons and scroll wheel are seamlessly integrated) are a perfect example of how Apple moved from simple, to complex, to as simple as possible. (p. 19-21)
3. Learn, learn, LEARN. The more you learn, the more simple things appear. Maeda harks on this topic throughout – it’s obvious that he reads a lot, and continues to find points of inspiration – whether they be objects, mentors or nature. (Chapter 4 – LEARN)
4. Complexity is necessary. That way, we understand when we see simplicity. (Law 5 – DIFFERENCES)
5. “I was once advised by my teacher Nicholas Negroponte to become a light bulb instead of a laser beam, at an age and time in my career when I was all focus. His point was that you can either brighten a single point with laser precision, or else use the same light to illuminate everything around you.” (p. 53)
6. EMOTIONs are not the enemies of simplicity. Emotional responses are highly valuable – you need them. Design must elicit them; without them, it’s just a hunk of metal (or paper, or wood, or paint, or…well, you get it).
7. Law 9: FAILURE – Some things can never be made simple. And that’s okay. “There are certain things that I would never want to become simple – that includes my close relationships and my collection of art.” (p. 84)
8. “Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful.” (p. 89, Law 10: THE ONE)
2006, MIT Press.
