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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
I wanted this book to. Be more about simplicity in life than in design, but it is mostly about governing principles for simplicity in technological products. (And, having been written in 2006, has a delightfully dated obsession with the iPod.)
I picked it up because of a quote from the book I found online: "Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful." Turns out that was probably the most useful part of the book.
I picked it up because of a quote from the book I found online: "Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful." Turns out that was probably the most useful part of the book.
Having enjoyed Greg McKeown's Essentialism and Oliver Burkeman's Four Thousand Weeks in the past half a year, I was quite excited to read John Maeda's The Laws of Simplicity. It was an appealing hook - 10 laws of simplicity for business, technology and design!
But honestly, I found the book a painful read. It felt like a random collection of thoughts, stream of consciousness musings pulled together with numbering (10 laws!), mnemonic devices and acronyms thrown in to try to give the semblance of structure and coherence. So we have random anecdotes like how Maeda's daughters send him email with text of all sizes, colours, smileys and how Maeda now responds in kind (this is emotion in action). How inspired Maeda was by Paul Rand and treasures the memory of meeting him in his studio, watching his toddler learn how to walk (to illustrate his law on learning), how he has kept an unusual business card on his desk for 7 years because of how different it is. And Maeda's account of how, during an exhibition of his digital art in Paris where he encountered works by Australian artist Ron Mueck, which stirred in him a deeply emotional response. A couple of these anecdotes in a book make it more personal and intimate. A barrage of these just makes the book incoherent.
But thankfully Maeda's book is supposed to make sense thanks to pithy mnemonic devices like SHE: Shrink, Hide, Embody; SLIP: Sort, Label, Integrate, Prioritize; BRAIN: Basics are the beginning, Repeat yourself often, Avoid creating desperation, Inspire with examples, Never forget to repeat yourself.
Maeda peppers his book with insightful observations as:
"Fragility is an essential counteracting force to complexity because it can instill pity - which by coincidence also occurs in the word simPlIciTY!"
Or this revelation in relation to Maeda's Law 3 that savings in time feel like simplicity: "an alternative means to 'saving' time is to hide its paassage by simply removing time displays from the environment. I stopped wearing a wristwatch many years ago as I found…that as a result I never feel I am running out of time."
He rounds off his book with the ultimate Zen Law called The One: "Ten Laws (10: one, zero), remove none (0: zero), and you're left with one (10: one). When in doubt, turn to the tenth Law, the One".
To be fair, The Laws of Simplicity is a very short book, which limited my suffering. Best part of the book? Learning this interesting factoid that "in the martial art of Karate, for instance, the symbol of pride for a black belt is to wear it long enough such that the dye fades to white as to symbolise returning to the beginner state" (caveat: I need to verify this with reliable sources).
To save other readers the trouble, here are the 10 laws:
1. REDUCE. The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction.
2. ORGANISE: Organisation makes a system of many appear fewer.
3. TIME: Savings in time feel like simplicity.
4. LEARN: Knowledge makes everything simpler
5. DIFFERENCES: Simplicity and complexity need each other
6. CONTEXT: What lies in the periphery of simplicity is definitely not peripheral
7. EMOTION: More emotions are better than less.
8. TRUST: In simplicity we trust
9. FAILURE: Some things can never be made simple.
10. THE ONE: Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful.
But honestly, I found the book a painful read. It felt like a random collection of thoughts, stream of consciousness musings pulled together with numbering (10 laws!), mnemonic devices and acronyms thrown in to try to give the semblance of structure and coherence. So we have random anecdotes like how Maeda's daughters send him email with text of all sizes, colours, smileys and how Maeda now responds in kind (this is emotion in action). How inspired Maeda was by Paul Rand and treasures the memory of meeting him in his studio, watching his toddler learn how to walk (to illustrate his law on learning), how he has kept an unusual business card on his desk for 7 years because of how different it is. And Maeda's account of how, during an exhibition of his digital art in Paris where he encountered works by Australian artist Ron Mueck, which stirred in him a deeply emotional response. A couple of these anecdotes in a book make it more personal and intimate. A barrage of these just makes the book incoherent.
But thankfully Maeda's book is supposed to make sense thanks to pithy mnemonic devices like SHE: Shrink, Hide, Embody; SLIP: Sort, Label, Integrate, Prioritize; BRAIN: Basics are the beginning, Repeat yourself often, Avoid creating desperation, Inspire with examples, Never forget to repeat yourself.
Maeda peppers his book with insightful observations as:
"Fragility is an essential counteracting force to complexity because it can instill pity - which by coincidence also occurs in the word simPlIciTY!"
Or this revelation in relation to Maeda's Law 3 that savings in time feel like simplicity: "an alternative means to 'saving' time is to hide its paassage by simply removing time displays from the environment. I stopped wearing a wristwatch many years ago as I found…that as a result I never feel I am running out of time."
He rounds off his book with the ultimate Zen Law called The One: "Ten Laws (10: one, zero), remove none (0: zero), and you're left with one (10: one). When in doubt, turn to the tenth Law, the One".
To be fair, The Laws of Simplicity is a very short book, which limited my suffering. Best part of the book? Learning this interesting factoid that "in the martial art of Karate, for instance, the symbol of pride for a black belt is to wear it long enough such that the dye fades to white as to symbolise returning to the beginner state" (caveat: I need to verify this with reliable sources).
To save other readers the trouble, here are the 10 laws:
1. REDUCE. The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction.
2. ORGANISE: Organisation makes a system of many appear fewer.
3. TIME: Savings in time feel like simplicity.
4. LEARN: Knowledge makes everything simpler
5. DIFFERENCES: Simplicity and complexity need each other
6. CONTEXT: What lies in the periphery of simplicity is definitely not peripheral
7. EMOTION: More emotions are better than less.
8. TRUST: In simplicity we trust
9. FAILURE: Some things can never be made simple.
10. THE ONE: Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful.
a bit slow to begin, but really started to enjoy the read around law 3.
informative
medium-paced
Nothing new. Basic principles of minimalism distilled into essays.
Really interesting book, which is only 100 pages so it's not a long read. Goes from really concrete, practical "laws" to more abstract "laws". I learned the most from the first three and the tenth law, or at least I found I have an idea on how to apply those more easily (which makes sense, as they're more practical).
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
I wanted either more or less, funnily enough
I love simplicity and I love this book. I generally read books on simplicity that are based only on the author's thoughts and experiences. In John Maeda's The Laws of Simplicity, everything about simplicity is logical and just make sense. Written by an expert on Graphic Design and Technology, this book says it all. Although I felt that his writing style is a bit too geek and techie, I could tolerate it for the professional quality of the content.
I thought that simplicity needs no other things to exist, but after reading this book, I know that we still need complexity. Without first experiencing light, how can we experience darkness. Without first experiencing complexity, how can we realize the existence of simplicity. Everything needs its counterpart to maintain its balance. And I got to know that balance is all we need.
Simplicity isn't just a mere simplicity. To fully appreciate simplicity, we need rules, even when we just want to break them. And these 10 rules + 3 ideas will make you appreciate simplicity. Simplicity can give better meaning to Design, Writing, Technology, and most of all, Life.
This book is just a hundred pages long. Still think that it's not a simple book, eh?
I thought that simplicity needs no other things to exist, but after reading this book, I know that we still need complexity. Without first experiencing light, how can we experience darkness. Without first experiencing complexity, how can we realize the existence of simplicity. Everything needs its counterpart to maintain its balance. And I got to know that balance is all we need.
Simplicity isn't just a mere simplicity. To fully appreciate simplicity, we need rules, even when we just want to break them. And these 10 rules + 3 ideas will make you appreciate simplicity. Simplicity can give better meaning to Design, Writing, Technology, and most of all, Life.
This book is just a hundred pages long. Still think that it's not a simple book, eh?
Short, but GREAT book! The design references are now dated, but I found that to be an added bonus for me. I felt that after so many years and new versions of the devices Maeda references, I can see it with a broader perspective.
It's not stated, but I appreciate the reference to Wabi-Sabi in one of the chapters.
It's not stated, but I appreciate the reference to Wabi-Sabi in one of the chapters.
"The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction. When in doubt, just remove."
"Feeling safe(by avoiding desperation), feeling confident (by mastering the basics), and feeling instinctive (by conditioning- through repetition) all satisfy rational needs. Inspiration from others serves a higher goal that, at least for me, is the true reward. The practice of education is the highest form of intellectual philanthropy."
"How directed can I stand to feel? VS. How directionless can I afford to be?"
"Your feeling of youth, state of health, and sense of adventure will dictate your preference for safety versus excitement to find the right balance where you can become 'comfortably lost.' "
"Complexity implies the feeling of being lost; simplicity implies the feeling of being found."
"Everything starts from being sensitive to your own feelings. Do you know how you feel? Right now? By connecting with the emotional intelligence inside yourself, the next step is to empathize with the environment that surrounds you."
"The thing with insecurity, is that if you are too insecure, then you don't grow- because you're paralyzed by the fear of failure" ... "on the other hand, if you have no insecurity, then you don't grow either- because your head is so big that you can't recognize your failures." ... "If you are in the middle, however, you have to shift towards the edges and oscillate a bit in order to know if you are centered."
"Feeling safe(by avoiding desperation), feeling confident (by mastering the basics), and feeling instinctive (by conditioning- through repetition) all satisfy rational needs. Inspiration from others serves a higher goal that, at least for me, is the true reward. The practice of education is the highest form of intellectual philanthropy."
"How directed can I stand to feel? VS. How directionless can I afford to be?"
"Your feeling of youth, state of health, and sense of adventure will dictate your preference for safety versus excitement to find the right balance where you can become 'comfortably lost.' "
"Complexity implies the feeling of being lost; simplicity implies the feeling of being found."
"Everything starts from being sensitive to your own feelings. Do you know how you feel? Right now? By connecting with the emotional intelligence inside yourself, the next step is to empathize with the environment that surrounds you."
"The thing with insecurity, is that if you are too insecure, then you don't grow- because you're paralyzed by the fear of failure" ... "on the other hand, if you have no insecurity, then you don't grow either- because your head is so big that you can't recognize your failures." ... "If you are in the middle, however, you have to shift towards the edges and oscillate a bit in order to know if you are centered."