The Laws of Simplicity

“If brevity is the soul of wit, simplicity is the soul of design. John Maeda uses the concept of simplicity to get at the nature of human thought and perception while drawing out tangible applications for business, technology, and life in general. The Laws of Simplicity is thoroughly optimistic, entertaining, and erudite, just as you would expect from Maeda. It is also the most compelling one hundred pages of design writing I have read this year.” – Rob Forbes, Founder, Design Within Reach “Our lives and our businesses are faster and broader than ever. As such, they are also more complex and difficult to manage, for both customers and managers. Therefore, achieving simplicity in both our products and our organizations will be crucial for securing market share. No one has seen this more clearly than John Maeda, the Master of Simplicity. The Laws of Simplicity is a clear and incisive guide for making simplicity the paramount feature of our products; it’s also a road map for constructing a more meaningful world.” – Andrea Ragnetti, Board of Management, Royal Philips Electronics “I planned to skim/sample John Maeda’s book, then decide to endorse it — or not. I quickly found myself mesmerized — and thence the only issue was deciding what were the strongest words I could muster in support of The Laws of Simplicity. The book is important; and Maeda has made an absurdly complex subject — simplicity — approachable and usable. Bravo! I hope the people who design the products I’ll acquire in the next ten years take this book to heart.” – Tom Peters

John Maeda is an internationally recognized leader at the intersection of design and technology. He is Executive Vice President/Chief Experience Officer at Publicis Sapient. He was the 16th President of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). He is the author of Design by Numbers, The Laws of Simplicity, and Redesigning Leadership, all published by The MIT Press.