The Laws of Simplicity (Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life)

Received an Honorable Mention in the Communication and Cultural Studies category of the 2005 Professional/Scholarly Publishing Annual Awards Competition presented by the Association of American Publishers, Inc.

Finally, we are learning that simplicity equals sanity. We're rebelling against technology that's too complicated, DVD players with too many menus, and software accompanied by 75-megabyte "read me" manuals. The iPod's clean gadgetry has made simplicity hip. But sometimes we find ourselves caught up in the simplicity paradox: we want something that's simple and easy to use, but also does all the complex things we might ever want it to do. In The Laws of Simplicity, John Maeda offers ten laws for balancing simplicity and complexity in business, technology, and design?guidelines for needing less and actually getting more.

Maeda?a professor in MIT's Media Lab and a world-renowned graphic designer?explores the question of how we can redefine the notion of "improved" so that it doesn't always mean something more, something added on.

Maeda's first law of simplicity is "Reduce." It's not necessarily beneficial to add technology features just because we can. And the features that we do have must be organized (Law 2) in a sensible hierarchy so users aren't distracted by features and functions they don't need. But simplicity is not less just for the sake of less. Skip ahead to Law 9: "Failure: Accept the fact that some things can never be made simple." Maeda's concise guide to simplicity in the digital age shows us how this idea can be a cornerstone of organizations and their products?how it can drive both business and technology. We can learn to simplify without sacrificing comfort and meaning, and we can achieve the balance described in Law 10. This law, which Maeda calls "The One," tells us: "Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful." more

Price Range:$11.62 to $12.91 | 4 stores
Product Rating:

51 Reviews
Info:
Set Price Alert Save to Wish List
Tags:
John Maeda, Hardcover, Textbooks.com, Buy.com, Amazon, Barnes & Noble

ComparePrices

title,desc	merchant	price	seeit
Smarter Choice The Laws of Simplicity: Ten laws of simplicity for business, technology, and design teach readers howto need less but get more.	23,982 reviews *smarter certified	$11.62 Coupon 1 coupon available Code: Detail: Take $5 OFF the purchase of $100 or more at Buy.com Expires:Nov-30-2009 Restriction:New Customers Only. Coupons are not valid on Marketplace items	See it
Laws of Simplicity by John Maeda. ISBN13: 9780262134729. ISBN10: 0262134721. Published by Triliteral. Edition: 06	Textbooks.com 2,445 reviews *smarter certified	$21 $12.91 Coupon 2 coupons available Code:No Code Required Detail: Free shipping w/ $25 purchase at Textbooks. Expires:Dec-31-2009 Restriction:Unknow Code:xicyx Detail: Use coupon code xicyx at checkout to enjoy Free Shipping on your order plus enter to win $500 at Textbooks. Expires:Dec-31-2009 Restriction:Unknow	See it
The Laws of Simplicity (Books) Design - Product Art - Ten laws of simplicity for business, technology, and design that teach us how to need less but...	Barnes & Noble	$21 $11.74 Coupon 3 coupons available Code:J7M3C9V Detail: 20% off single item when you use Master card at Barnes & Noble Expires:Dec-31-2009 Restriction:Unknow Code:No Code Required Detail: Free Shipping on orders of $25 at Barnes & Noble Expires:Jun-30-2010 Restriction:see site for more details Code: Detail: GET FREE SHIPPING ON ORDERS OF $25 OR MORE at Barnes and Noble Expires:Dec-31-2009 Restriction:Unknow	See it
The Laws of Simplicity (Simplicity:... Pages: 127, Hardcover, The MIT Press	Amazon 11,406 reviews	$11.74 Coupon 1 coupon available Code:No Code Required Detail: FREE Shipping on orders over $25 at Amazon. Expires:Dec-31-2010 Restriction:Some restrictions apply. See site for details.	See it

*Shipping costs are based on an estimate of the lowest shipping rate available within the contiguous US, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Only merchants with this product in stock are listed (Merchants with this product back ordered have been removed from this list).

Do you see a pricing error? Please let us know by filling out a simple form: Click here

MoreStores

Write a review

ProductReviews72/100 (51 Reviews)

Recent Reviews

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Apr-30-2009; A very smart and insightful book; I love this book. People may find that the laws described are too trivial. Although they may seem simple they are actually very difficult to master. These laws could be used to improve most of today situations and products. However as I...; read full review | report as inappropriate

1/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Mar-31-2009; Not worth it; It's somewhat interesting to read but definitely not worth the money nor time. The book is VERY short and the 10 chapters reveal truths that everybody knows already. You can just sit down and think for a moment about simplicity and you...; read full review | report as inappropriate

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Mar-24-2009; Great Design Book; Bought this book for a class I am taking online and it was a great read. The laws and keys in the book should be mandatory reading for designers, such simplicity should not be ignored!; read full review | report as inappropriate

4/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Feb-23-2009; Design Simplicity; As a techie guy, I respect the authors overriding message. Keep technology products simple.I often recall buying or looking at products that I want to do just one or 2 things and finding I need to look at the manual because the product...; read full review | report as inappropriate

Selected Reviews

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Apr-30-2009; A very smart and insightful book; I love this book. People may find that the laws described are too trivial. Although they may seem simple they are actually very difficult to master. These laws could be used to improve most of today situations and products. However as I...; read full review | report as inappropriate

3/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Jul-04-2008; Manage your expectations...; If you manage your expectations, this little book can be pleasant, even delightful. But if your interest is for more serious, robust exploration, then look elsewhere. The title is a bit misleading. The term "Laws" suggest principles that...; read full review | report as inappropriate

1/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Mar-31-2009; Not worth it; It's somewhat interesting to read but definitely not worth the money nor time. The book is VERY short and the 10 chapters reveal truths that everybody knows already. You can just sit down and think for a moment about simplicity and you...; read full review | report as inappropriate