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The Laws of Simplicity
John Maeda
Mit
September 2006
On Sale: August 21, 2006
127 pages
ISBN: 0262134721
EAN: 9780262134729
Hardcover
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Non-Fiction
Finally, we are learning that simplicity equals sanity.
We're rebelling against technology that's too complicated,
DVD players with too many menus, and software accompanied by
75-megabyte "read me" manuals. The iPod's clean gadgetry has
made simplicity hip. But sometimes we find ourselves caught
up in the simplicity paradox: we want something that's
simple and easy to use, but also does all the complex things
we might ever want it to do. In The Laws of Simplicity, John
Maeda offers ten laws for balancing simplicity and
complexity in business, technology, and design--guidelines
for needing less and actually getting more. Maeda--a professor in MIT's Media Lab and a world-renowned
graphic designer--explores the question of how we can
redefine the notion of "improved" so that it doesn't always
mean something more, something added on. Maeda's first law of simplicity is "Reduce." It's not
necessarily beneficial to add technology features just
because we can. And the features that we do have must be
organized (Law 2) in a sensible hierarchy so users aren't
distracted by features and functions they don't need. But
simplicity is not less just for the sake of less. Skip ahead
to Law 9: "Failure: Accept the fact that some things can
never be made simple." Maeda's concise guide to simplicity
in the digital age shows us how this idea can be a
cornerstone of organizations and their products--how it can
drive both business and technology. We can learn to simplify
without sacrificing comfort and meaning, and we can achieve
the balance described in Law 10. This law, which Maeda calls
"The One," tells us: "Simplicity is about subtracting the
obvious, and adding the meaningful."
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