Without a Verb

Here's a little sound bite from Steve Jobs from this New York Times article:

"There are no “verbs” in the iPhone interface," he said, alluding to the way a standard mouse or stylus system works. In those systems, users select an object, like a photo, and then separately select an action, or “verb,” to do something to it."

Sometimes simplicity can be achieved by eliminating the verbs.

Maeda at TED 2007

Finally, we get to see John Maeda's take on simplicity from this year's TED forum. Great, entertaining, funny yet thoughtful presentation indeed.

Complicated Information Symplified

Edward Tufte is the man who simplifies the most complicated of information for the visual consumption of the most average of general public. This one above is a classic example. To get a real sense of how simple it actually is, check out this link which compares it to the same information displayed in six power point slides.

The Hardest Part of Good Design

Design extraordinaire Philippe Starck explains thus:

"The simpler an object is, the harder it is to make it: decoration always conceals something else."

[From the book 'Starck' by Conway Lloyd Morgan]

Simplicity Defined

John Maeda defines simplicity thus in his book 'The Laws of Simplicity'. A book worth checking out if you are fundamentally interested in simplifying life.

Above image via Presentation Zen.

Welcome to the Simple Life

An attempt to understand the complexity of everyday life in simplified terms. Inspired by the following (not in any particular order)...
A.) John Maeda and his Simplicity Consortium at the MIT MediaLab
B.) The frustration of dealing with the cable set-top box remote control for the last seven years
C.) The Apple iPod
D.) The above pictured board that I came across in a souvenir shop in an Amish village in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
E.) The (simple) pencil sharpener
F.) The (eternal) wheel
H.) More to come. But for now let's keep it at half a dozen and not complicate life :-)