The Laws of Simplicity – John Maeda | Free Book Summary

The Laws of Simplicity – John Maeda

The book presents laws that the author has created for simplifying our lives and the things we may work on or design.

Law 3: TIME

Shrinking the time of a process can sometimes only go so far, and so an alternative means to “saving” time is to hide its passage by simply removing time displays from the environment.

Law 4: LEARN

Knowledge makes everything simpler. Learning occurs best when there is a desire to attain specific knowledge.

To teach:

• BASICS are the beginning.
• REPEAT yourself often.
• AVOID creating desperation.
• INSPIRE with examples.
• NEVER forget to repeat yourself.
• REPEAT-ting yourself can be embarrassing, especially if you are self-conscious.
• AVOID-ing desperation is something to target when learning is concerned.
• INSPIRATION is the ultimate catalyst for learning: internal motivation trumps external reward.

Law 5: DIFFERENCES

Simplicity and complexity need each other.

Understand the duality in the world around you.

Law 6: CONTEXT

What lies in the periphery of simplicity is definitely not peripheral.

This law emphasizes the importance of what might become lost during the design process. That which appears to be of immediate relevance may not be nearly as important compared to everything else around. Our goal is to achieve a kind of enlightened shallowness.

The Paradox Of Lost And Found

The opportunity lost by increasing the amount of blank space is gained back with enhanced attention on what remains.

There is an important tradeoff between being completely lost in the unknown and completely found in the familiar. Too familiar can have the positive aspect of making complete sense, which to some can seem boring; too unknown can have the negative connotation of danger, which to some can seem a thrill.

Law 7: EMOTION

Our society, systems, and artifacts require active engagement in care, attention, and feeling; the business value may not be immediately apparent. But the fulfillment from living a meaningful life is the ROE (Return on Emotion).

A certain kind of more is always better than less—more care, more love, and more meaningful actions. I don’t think I need to say anything more. More emotions are better than less.

Law 8: TRUST

In simplicity, we trust.

The goal of leaning back is to achieve relaxation, the desired state.

Overconfidence is usually the enemy of greatness, and there’s little room for personal ego when pleasing a customer is the true priority.

The more a system knows about you, the less you have to think. Conversely, the more you know about the system, the greater control you can exert.

Law 9: FAILURE

Some things can never be made simple.

There’s always an ROF (return on failure) when you try to simplify, which is to learn from your mistakes.

Considering something complex or simple requires a frame of reference.

Law 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: Openness: Openness simplifies complexity.

Key 3: POWER Use less, gain more.

LIFE: Technology and life only become complex if you let them.

The 10 Laws: Recap

• REDUCE – The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction.
• ORGANIZE – Organization makes a system of many appear fewer.
• TIME – Savings in time feel like simplicity.
• LEARN – Knowledge makes everything simpler.
• DIFFERENCES – Simplicity and complexity need each other.
• CONTEXT – What lies in the periphery of simplicity is definitely not peripheral.
• EMOTION – More emotions are better than less.
• TRUST – In simplicity we trust.
• FAILURE – Some things can never be made simple.
• THE ONE – Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful.