13. Simplicity

… Simplicity versus Understatement

This chapter incorporates many topics already mentioned in the previous ones, such as unobtrusiveness, honesty and aesthetics. Today, people often have become insensitive as a result of sensory over‑stimulation through loud advertising and boasting unsubstantial competition.

In order to evoke any emotions, stimuli have to be exerted at increasingly higher levels, and the intended result is distorted, focuses on physical and visual stimuli only.

The experience of spiritual contents has been forgotten to a degree, that they are either belittled, or their existence denied, never to be heard of. People lose the ability to notice subtle signs of beauty and gentle, pleasant gestures and regard simple shapes as boring and sterile.

In an environment with these prevailing conditions, the designer’s task is to master the difference between dullness, Puritanism, boredom and the beauty of simplicity, which can elevate a product above the noise of mocking vandalism.

Design should be clear‑cut and reduced in every respect in order to emphasise the important and omit the unimportant, this does not mean culling beauty or expression of comfort and joy. Simple forms are generally more challenging to develop because a subtle imbalance in proportions becomes readily apparent and needs correction. In most cases, it requires more accurate and expensive production processes because imperfections cannot be hidden or covered up.

For every responsible designer and entrepreneur, this effort is worth the difficulties. Shapes become placid, pleasant, understandable and long-lasting.