April 2009
1 post
Mei+Kev Presentation pdf →
March 2009
5 posts
3 keys - AWAY, OPEN, and POWER
The first key is AWAY— “more appears like less by simply moving it far, far away.” The example of Google is cited, whereby the user experience (query) is made simpler by keeping the result local but moving the actual work (Google’s servers processing the query) to a far away location. It is simply because the more we know the less interesting something becomes. So by moving all the details...
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February 2009
8 posts
Tenth law - THE ONE
The tenth law is THE ONE – Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful. I totally agree on that since it is more interesting when things are unpredictable. That’s when creativity comes in. As a designer, it is very important that solve the problem with surprising solution yet it has to make sense. For example, same story has been told for ages, but if we change it a...
Ninth law - FAILURE
The ninth law is FAILURE – Some things can never be made simple. That is very true that Maeda reminds us that “there’s always an ROF (Return On Failure) when you try to simplify”. But we have to learn from our mistakes. It is true in not only in the effort for defining simplicity but also in our life. It is always good to experiment and fail in order to achieve a better result, in this case is...
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Eighth Law - Trust
The eighth law is TRUST – In simplicity we trust. Simplicity requires a certain level of trust. Maeda gives example about learning to swim – that moment when you realize that you could always swim but until that point you didn’t trust the water. Great design helps instill that sense of trust. He describes how audio maker Bang & Olufsen’s products aim to achieve this – by utilizing impeccable...
Seventh Law - Emotion
The seventh law is EMOTION – More emotions are better than less. This law seems to be conflict with the first law (REDUCE) since not everyone agrees with the simplicity of iPods. Adding something extra that are more personal would add more feeling or sense of style to the simplicity. Maeda goes on to give a principle to help you verify the appropriate level of “more”: the principle of “feel, and...
Sixth Law - Context
The sixth law is CONTEXT – What lies in the periphery of simplicity is definitely not peripheral. The author notes that while “narrowness” and “focus” are essentially synonyms, the latter should not always enjoy the positive connotation that it enjoys compared to the former. Maeda himself was counseled by his teacher Nicholas Negroponte to “become a light bulb instead of a laser beam.” In the...
Fifth Law - Differences
The fifth law is DIFFERENCES – Simplicity and complexity need each other. It is very true since we need complexity to make simplicity to look or feel simpler; same as complexity, if we haven’t seen simplicity, we won’t feel the complexity. The ever-more complex technological landscape ensures that simple products and services will always stand out.
The author likens the need to swing between...
January 2009
9 posts
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Fourth Law - Learn
The fourth law is LEARN – Knowledge makes everything simpler. Knowledge and time are related as it will save time if we have knowledge since learning is time consuming. This law is form by BRAIN: BASICS are the beginning; REPEAT yourself often; AVOID creating desperation; INSPIRE with examples; NEVER forget to repeat yourself.
“Basics” involves stepping out of your role as expert and assuming the...
Third Law - Time
The third law is TIME – Savings in time feel like simplicity. Which is true when we don’t have to go through the frustration of waiting and we also perceive quick interactions with products or services as simplicity of the experience. Thus, savings time feels like simplicity, and saving time is really about good time management rather than having experiences force us into time-intensive sinks. In...
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Second Law - Organize post
The second Law is Organize which means Organization makes a system of many appear fewer. Which I think it has some soft of connection between this law and the first law, Reduce. Before we could organize, we should reduce the unimportant stuff. Then we can develop meaningful categories out of the complexity at hand. Maeda offers a process to facilitate “seeing the forest from the trees” – SLIP:...
First Law - Reduce post
“The Laws of Simplicity” by John Maeda is what I need. There was time that I was too focus on the complexity or details and forgot about the importance of simplicity.
This book begins with the first Law, Reduce - The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction. This is the hardest I think because nowadays we have so much choices or options in our life. We have to think what...
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my works from year 2007 and 2008~
will update new site hopefully in March 2009!
“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing to add, but when there are...”
– Antoine de Saint