Skill in the digital age is confused with mastery of digital tools, masking the importance of understanding materials and mastering the elements of form.
John MaedaRead
Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Simplicity involves removing unnecessary elements to focus on what truly matters.
John Maeda's quote highlights the importance of simplifying complex ideas or designs by eliminating superfluous components while emphasizing significant aspects. This process allows individuals to appreciate the essence and functionality of their creations or thoughts, improving clarity and understanding.
Themes
SimplicityMeaningfulDesignClarityEssence
In practice
Example use cases
During a presentation on design principles, one might use this quote to stress the importance of focus.
More from John Maeda
All quotes βIn the '70s and '80s there was an attempt in K-12 to teach science through art or art through science. The challenge today is how do you build the ethos of art and design into the academy of science.
John MaedaRead
Technological advances have always been driven more by a mind-set of 'I can' than 'I should' Technologists love to cram maximum functionality into their products. That's 'I can' thinking, which is driven by peer competition and market forces But this approach ignores the far more important question of how the consumer will actually use the device focus on what we should be doing, not just what we can.
John MaedaRead
When people say, 'I don't get art' ... that means art is working.
John MaedaRead
Amidst all the attention given to the sciences as to how they can lead to the cure of all diseases and daily problems of mankind, I believe that the biggest breakthrough will be the realization that the arts, which are considered "useless," will be recognized as the whole reason why we ever try to live longer or live more prosperously. The arts are the science of enjoying life.
John MaedaRead
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