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Less Is More
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Constraint breeds clarity. Abundance breeds clutter.
The Idea
Mies van der Rohe's famous line: subtracting often improves more than adding. Whitespace makes text readable. Fewer choices make decisions easier. Fewer features make products learnable.
Why It Matters
- Users experience products as a whole. Every new thing dilutes the whole.
- Decision fatigue is real. Six options beat sixty.
- Simpler products are easier to explain, teach, and market.
How to Apply
- Default to cutting before adding.
- Limit surface area: menus, settings, feature flags.
- When users ask for more, look for what to remove that would make the current set clearer.
The Nuance
Not every product benefits from minimalism. Power tools need depth. The rule is: for the user's current task, reduce what's in their way — even if the whole system is rich.
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