FLIRTing with the Crowds

Stumbled upon a great book this week while visiting London: The Laws of Simplicity by John Maeda is a nice general introduction to designing for simplicity and value.

John has adopted a very down to earth and accessible approach in laying out his Ten Laws of Simplicity and illuminates the different contexts to which they apply with lively examples and first hand experience. Stories of Japanese animism and living objects and the devotion of a sushi master in preparing an omakase meal are refreshing, relevant and insightful. Of course, being a book on design, it can’t skip the iPod, but this part also is written from a fresh perspective and adds to current understanding of the phenomenon.

The book is capped at exactly 100 pages and is best enjoyed on a short flight after which it leaves your brain nerves tingling with excitement for days. I at least am dying to get to the office tomorrow and start putting the ideas I’ve gathered to work. Recommended reading for everybody using their brain for a living.

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Maeda’s Ten Laws and Three Keys along with SLIP and SHE frameworks remind me of my own FLIRT model with four C’s: both are emerging and growing bodies of work with strong, timeless backbones but still some way to go before the details (in Maeda’s book the latter part) are ironed out on a sufficient level. ‘Ready’ they might never be in our ever faster changing environment, but they surely do add understanding to their respective fields.

Interesting observation: Maeda’s book (and blog) are subtitled ‘Design, Business, Technology, Life’ while my blog is subtitled  ‘…Design, Business & Technology’. Kindred spirits…