Why Simple Design Solutions Have a Complicated Process

Image Credit: Death to Stock

I follow the blog Desk of the German designer Tobias van Schneider, and his article The Struggle for Simplicity is so well-put on the topic of simplicity in design that I feel obligated to bring it up. It concisely summarizes the value of simplicity, why it can be difficult to achieve and is often elusive during the design process. Everything he mentions in this article I agree with completely and have experienced to be true.

For example, there are times I’ve found myself so deep in the details of a project I was doing more damage than good. I pride myself on being meticulous with the details in all aspects of a project, but sometimes it becomes difficult to organize the individual elements into a cohesive message and overall positive experience. In my almost decade of designing, I’ve honed my skills and can recognize when this spiraling begins so I can pull myself out before sinking in any further. Taking a step back and evaluating from a broader perspective gets me back in line with project goals and even saves time by allowing me to prioritize more efficiently.

As in design, applying simplicity to life is an ongoing and often challenging process that requires some bigger-picture thinking. Marie Kondo is famous for her philosophy on organization and the benefits of simplifying your material possessions to make more time for bigger priorities. Her new show on Netflix is addictive for neat-freaks like myself for the cathartic nature of taking a disaster of a home and organizing it to make it look and function better. Marie’s tagline “Tidy your space, transform your life.” is so relevant to design and even my own design philosophy.

But why is simplicity so difficult to achieve? It comes down to decision-making. When you’re inundated with many possibilities, it’s easy to get stuck trying to determine how best to prioritize them. As with the KonMari method, it becomes a process of eliminating the things that just aren’t relevant enough to consider and focus on the things that truly “spark joy” in your life and make a better, more powerful connection in design.