From Publishers Weekly
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In this breezy treatise, graphic designer and
computer scientist Maeda proposes ten laws for simplifying
complex systems in business and life-but mostly in product
design. Maeda's upbeat explanations usefully break down the power
of less-fewer features, fewer buttons and fewer
distractions-while providing practical strategies for harnessing
that power, such as SHE: "Shrink, Hide, and Embody." The first
three laws, based on principles of reduction, organization and
efficiency, form the foundation for increasingly complex and
self-referential concepts like the importance of context and the
potential for failure in simplification (by the end of the book,
Maeda is chiding himself for using too many acronyms). Combined
with trust and emotional engagement (laws 7 and 8), Maeda
demonstrates how complex systems can become downright lovable:
Maeda recalls "the Tamagocchi craze of the late 1990s... showed
that anyone could fall in love with a small electronic keychain,"
drawing a corollary to the almighty iPod (an iconic example
referred to throughout). Emphasizing the delicate balance-work
involved in simplifying the complex, Maeda admits the process
isn't easy, and that his ten laws don't necessarily provide all
the answers-in numerous places, he directs readers to the web
site where his theories continue to develop. Despite that, this
slim book feels complete in itself; not only will it stimulate
ideas, it will keep readers thumbing back for a second and third
look at Maeda's deceptively simple advice.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Review
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Abstract recommends this book particularly to marketing people,
product designers and technical writers.
―GetAbstract
FINALLY, a book about simplicity that is not too academic to
read.... At the book's heart is the Shinto belief in animism, the
spirit in all objects. Nicholas Negroponte, one of Maeda's
mentors, once told him to become a lightbulb, not a laser beam.
This he has done; all this and more.
―Susan Salter Reynolds, The LA Times
John Maeda's new book, The Laws of Simplicity, is simply
terrific. It's exactly 100 pages, the illustrations are brilliant
and the 10 Laws of Simplicity (plus Three Keys) are a canon to
design one's entire life, much less specific products, services
or business models. The subtitle is: Design, Technology,
Business, Life.
―Bruce Nussbaum, BusinessWeek's blog "NussbaumOnDesign"
Keep it simple, Stupid' is an old piece of advice, so much so
that it's often abbreviated as the 'KISS principle.' But it's
advice that's often ignored, and MIT Professor John Maeda s to
change that.... Designers and marketers will find Maeda's book
both interesting and useful....
―New York Post
Maeda's Laws and Keys have an obvious practical application in
everyday running of a busy life (and desktop); they also have the
potential to translate into a productive methodology for any
craft or design practice.... A very humble, enlightened and
caring human, John's written a little bible.
―Liz Farrelly, Crafts Magazine
Maeda's upbeat explanations usefully break down the power of
less-fewer features, fewer buttons and fewer distractions-while
providing practical strategies for harnessing that power....
Emphasizing the delicate balance-work involved in simplifying the
complex, Maeda admits the process isn't easy, and that his ten
laws don't necessarily provide all the answers-in numerous
places, he directs readers to the web site where his theories
continue to develop. Despite that, this slim book feels complete
in itself; not only will it stimulate ideas, it will keep readers
thumbing back for a second and third look at Maeda's deceptively
simple advice.
―Publishers Weekly
Technology and life seem to be getting more complicated, yet two
great success stories, Google and the iPod, both provide the
antidote of simplicity. In The Laws of Simplicity, John Maeda
uses humble prose to provide an accessible guide, business and
life, observing the principle: 'Simplicity equals sanity.'
―David Smith, The Observer
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