The Laws of Simplicity (Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life)
John Maeda
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."