Ten laws of simplicity for business technology and design that teach us how to need less but
get more. 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."
