The Art of Simple Design
There's a paradox at the heart of good design: the simpler something looks, the harder it usually is to make. Simplicity isn't the absence of effort — it's the concentration of it.
Less is Not Nothing
"Simple" is often misread as "minimal." But minimalism is an aesthetic; simplicity is a discipline.
A truly simple design has:
- Purpose — every element earns its place
- Clarity — the user always knows what to do next
- Honesty — no chrome, no decoration for its own sake
Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The Complexity Trap
Most products start simple. Then:
- A new stakeholder requests a feature
- An edge case demands an exception
- A metric reveals a drop — add a prompt
- A competitor launches — match it quickly
Before long, what was a clear path through a park becomes a maze. Each addition felt justified. Together, they created confusion.
Principles I Return To
One job per screen
Every page or view should have one primary action. Not three. Not a grid of equal-weight options. One.
Friction has a purpose
Not all friction is bad. A confirmation dialog before deleting something is good friction — it protects the user. But friction on the path to the user's goal is always a failure.
Typography is design
A page of well-set text — correct size, line height, measure, and weight — communicates care. It says: someone thought about how you would read this.
Color last
Design in black and white first. If the hierarchy is clear in grayscale, color will enhance it. If hierarchy depends on color to work, the design has a structural problem.
The Newspaper Model
The classic newspaper solved a hard design problem: how do you present dozens of stories to readers who will only read a few?
The answer: headlines, hierarchy, and white space. Readers scan, pick, and dive. The design gets out of the way.
That's still the right model for most content-driven products. Make it easy to find what matters. Make it comfortable to read. Then disappear.
Closing Thought
Simple design is a gift to the user. It says: I respected your time and attention enough to do the hard work myself, so you wouldn't have to.
That's the goal. Work hard so the experience feels effortless.