Why is it harder to simplify than to add?

Drawing the printer as it really looked shortened the icon's life; stopping sooner and drawing something simpler would have made it last.

1. Susan Kare 14 Aug 2026 Graphic designer and type designer But again, too much detail. It would have had a much longer lifespan if I had just stopped and made it simpler. ↗Susan Kare: Designing Icons & Graphics For the Original Macyoutube.com · 14 Aug 2026 · 21:38 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsBut again, too much detail. It would have had a much longer lifespan if I had just stopped and made it simpler.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 21:38 plays here

   ↗Susan Kare: Designing Icons & Graphics For the Original Macyoutube.com

   14 Aug 2026 · video · 51m · spoken · machine transcript

Simple, practical decisions executed at a really high level often give a feeling of confidence in the experience.

1. Charlie Deets 29 Jul 2026 Designer at The Browser Company working on Dia if you have these simple practical decisions that are executed at a really high level, I think it gives you a feeling of confidence often with like the experience you're interacting with. ↗Charlie Deets - Designing the internet computeryoutube.com · 29 Jul 2026 · 12:45 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsif you have these simple practical decisions that are executed at a really high level, I think it gives you a feeling of confidence often with like the experience you're interacting with.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 12:45 plays here

   ↗Charlie Deets - Designing the internet computeryoutube.com

   29 Jul 2026 · video · 54m · spoken · machine transcript

Reduce the information you present to the essential points; people will ask whatever they need to fill in the gaps.

1. Charlie Deets 29 Jul 2026 Designer at The Browser Company working on Dia I try to reduce the information that I'm presenting down to just like the essential points because people are going to ask whatever question they need to know to fill in the gaps. ↗Charlie Deets - Designing the internet computeryoutube.com · 29 Jul 2026 · 48:11 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsI try to reduce the information that I'm presenting down to just like the essential points because people are going to ask whatever question they need to know to fill in the gaps.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 48:11 plays here

   ↗Charlie Deets - Designing the internet computeryoutube.com

   29 Jul 2026 · video · 54m · spoken · machine transcript

Making something as well as you can and as simply as you can sums up much of what great design is.

1. Josh Puckett 12 Mar 2026 Designer, advisor and investor just make it as well as you can and make it as simple as you can. And I think that sums up so much of what great design is in a lot of ways ↗Josh Puckett - Crafting interfaces with uncommon careyoutube.com · 12 Mar 2026 · 24:54 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsjust make it as well as you can and make it as simple as you can. And I think that sums up so much of what great design is in a lot of ways

   Where this was said

   Watch from 24:54 plays here

   ↗Josh Puckett - Crafting interfaces with uncommon careyoutube.com

   12 Mar 2026 · video · 53m · spoken · machine transcript

What makes everything considered great design great is that it is distilled and concentrated into what makes it great, with the nice-to-haves cut.

1. Josh Puckett 12 Mar 2026 Designer, advisor and investor I think that's what makes everything we think of as great design, great design, is it's just really distilled and concentrated into what makes it great, right? And everything else that's not important, that's a nice-to-have, cut that, right? ↗Josh Puckett - Crafting interfaces with uncommon careyoutube.com · 12 Mar 2026 · 26:58 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsI think that's what makes everything we think of as great design, great design, is it's just really distilled and concentrated into what makes it great, right? And everything else that's not important, that's a nice-to-have, cut that, right?

   Where this was said

   Watch from 26:58 plays here

   ↗Josh Puckett - Crafting interfaces with uncommon careyoutube.com

   12 Mar 2026 · video · 53m · spoken · machine transcript

The most important thing a designer can do to make new technology usable is to simplify, and sometimes fewer features make a better product.

1. Sebastiaan de With 11 Apr 2019 Designer and co-founder of Lux, makers of Halide The most important thing you can do as a designer to make great new technology usable is to simplify. ↗A Spectre Retrospective – Part 2: Designlux.camera · 11 Apr 2019

   Their wordsThe most important thing you can do as a designer to make great new technology usable is to simplify.

   ↗A Spectre Retrospective – Part 2: Designlux.camera

   11 Apr 2019

Essentialism means rejecting the idea that if we can fit it all in, we can have it all

1. Greg McKeown 26 Jul 2014 British business writer and speaker (born 1977) I think that in the bigger picture, essentialism is about fighting this nonsense that we have been sold - that if we can fit it all in, then we can have it all. ↗Lessons In 'Essentialism': Getting More Out Of Life By Doing Less (NPR Weekend Edition, interview)npr.org · 26 Jul 2014All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsI think that in the bigger picture, essentialism is about fighting this nonsense that we have been sold - that if we can fit it all in, then we can have it all.

   ↗Lessons In 'Essentialism': Getting More Out Of Life By Doing Less (NPR Weekend Edition, interview)npr.org

   26 Jul 2014

Good design is as little design as possible: less, but better, because it concentrates on the essentials.

Mental modelLess, but better

1. Dieter Rams by 3 Aug 2012 Industrial designer; head of design at Braun from 1961… Less, but better – because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials. ↗Dieter Rams: ten principles for good designvitsoe.com · by 3 Aug 2012

   Their wordsLess, but better – because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials.

   ↗Dieter Rams: ten principles for good designvitsoe.com

   by 3 Aug 2012

The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction: when in doubt, remove.

Mental modelLess, but better

1. John Maeda 11 Jun 2006 Designer and technologist The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction. When in doubt, just remove. But be careful of what you remove. ↗The Laws of Simplicity, Law 1: Reducelawsofsimplicity.com · 11 Jun 2006

   Their wordsThe simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction. When in doubt, just remove. But be careful of what you remove.

   ↗The Laws of Simplicity, Law 1: Reducelawsofsimplicity.com

   11 Jun 2006

Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful.

1. John Maeda 11 Jun 2006 Designer and technologist Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful. ↗The Laws of Simplicity, Law 10: The Onelawsofsimplicity.com · 11 Jun 2006

   Their wordsSimplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful.

   ↗The Laws of Simplicity, Law 10: The Onelawsofsimplicity.com

   11 Jun 2006

Vigorous writing is concise: a sentence should have no unnecessary words, for the same reason a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.

Mental modelLess, but better

1. William Strunk Jr. c. 1918–1920 American professor of English at Cornell University (1869 to 1946) Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. ↗The Elements of Style (1918)gutenberg.org · c. 1918–1920All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsVigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.

   ↗The Elements of Style (1918)gutenberg.org

   c. 1918–1920

Complexity is kind of the enemy of action, and design is increasingly important for simplifying things so they can move forward.

1. Loredana Crisan 24 Jun 2026 Chief Design Officer at Figma figure out what thoughts connect, and simplify things that allow you to take things forward because complexity is kind of the enemy of action. And this way design like is is increasingly important here, too. ↗Loredana Crisan - Figma's big bets for the future of AI designyoutube.com · 24 Jun 2026 · 46:12 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsfigure out what thoughts connect, and simplify things that allow you to take things forward because complexity is kind of the enemy of action. And this way design like is is increasingly important here, too.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 46:12 plays here

   ↗Loredana Crisan - Figma's big bets for the future of AI designyoutube.com

   24 Jun 2026 · video · 50m · spoken · machine transcript

The struggle between profitless simplicity and profitable complexity is eternal in the world of software

1. David Heinemeier Hansson 12 Jan 2023 Creator of Ruby on Rails, CTO of 37signals The struggle between profitless simplicity and profitable complexity is eternal in the world of software ↗They're rebuilding the Death Star of complexityworld.hey.com · 12 Jan 2023All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsThe struggle between profitless simplicity and profitable complexity is eternal in the world of software

   ↗They're rebuilding the Death Star of complexityworld.hey.com

   12 Jan 2023

The cheapest way to deal with complexity is not to invent something to manage it but to avoid it with a cleverer plan.

Mental modelConservation of complexity

1. Frank Chimero 9 Feb 2018 Designer and writer in New York So, I thought it would be useful to remind everyone that the easiest and cheapest strategy for dealing with complexity is not to invent something to manage it, but to avoid the complexity altogether with a more clever plan. ↗Everything Easy is Hard Againfrankchimero.com · 9 Feb 2018

   Their wordsSo, I thought it would be useful to remind everyone that the easiest and cheapest strategy for dealing with complexity is not to invent something to manage it, but to avoid the complexity altogether with a more clever plan.

   ↗Everything Easy is Hard Againfrankchimero.com

   9 Feb 2018

Simple and easy are different things, and treating simplicity as ease of use is a mistake.

Mental modelLess, but better

1. Rich Hickey c. 2011 Creator of the Clojure programming language and of Datomic Your sensibilities about simplicity being equal to ease of use are wrong. They're just simply wrong. Right? We saw the definitions of simple and easy. They're completely different things. Right? So, easy is not simple. ↗"Simple Made Easy" - Rich Hickey (2011)youtube.com · c. 2011 · 0:58:55 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsYour sensibilities about simplicity being equal to ease of use are wrong. They're just simply wrong. Right? We saw the definitions of simple and easy. They're completely different things. Right? So, easy is not simple.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 0:58:55 plays here

   ↗"Simple Made Easy" - Rich Hickey (2011)youtube.com

   c. 2011 · video · 1h 01m · spoken · machine transcript

Choosing what is easy over what is simple buys speed only at the start, the way only a runner in a very short race can sprint from the gun.

1. Rich Hickey c. 2011 Creator of the Clojure programming language and of Datomic So, what kind of runner uh can run as fast as they possibly can from the very start of a race? Right. Only somebody who runs really short races. ↗"Simple Made Easy" - Rich Hickey (2011)youtube.com · c. 2011 · 0:17:27 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsSo, what kind of runner uh can run as fast as they possibly can from the very start of a race? Right. Only somebody who runs really short races.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 0:17:27 plays here

   ↗"Simple Made Easy" - Rich Hickey (2011)youtube.com

   c. 2011 · video · 1h 01m · spoken · machine transcript

Simplicity is a choice, and a system that is not simple is its builders' fault.

1. Rich Hickey c. 2011 Creator of the Clojure programming language and of Datomic The bottom line is simplicity is a choice. It's your fault if you don't have a simple system. ↗"Simple Made Easy" - Rich Hickey (2011)youtube.com · c. 2011 · 0:58:13 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsThe bottom line is simplicity is a choice. It's your fault if you don't have a simple system.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 0:58:13 plays here

   ↗"Simple Made Easy" - Rich Hickey (2011)youtube.com

   c. 2011 · video · 1h 01m · spoken · machine transcript

Good design is simple, because being forced to be simple forces a maker to face the real problem and deliver substance instead of ornament.

1. Paul Graham 1 Feb 2002 Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb When you're forced to be simple, you're forced to face the real problem. When you can't deliver ornament, you have to deliver substance. ↗Taste for Makerspaulgraham.com · 1 Feb 2002

   Their wordsWhen you're forced to be simple, you're forced to face the real problem. When you can't deliver ornament, you have to deliver substance.

   ↗Taste for Makerspaulgraham.com

   1 Feb 2002

In computing, elegance is not a luxury: it decides between success and failure.

1. Edsger W. Dijkstra 1 Mar 1999 Dutch computer scientist (1930 to 2002) in computing, elegance is not a dispensable luxury but a quality that decides between success and failure ↗Computing Science: Achievements and Challenges (EWD1284)cs.utexas.edu · 1 Mar 1999All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsin computing, elegance is not a dispensable luxury but a quality that decides between success and failure

   ↗Computing Science: Achievements and Challenges (EWD1284)cs.utexas.edu

   1 Mar 1999

A design has to be kept simple for reliability and intellectual control, but nobody yet knows how to reach simplicity systematically.

1. Edsger W. Dijkstra 1 Mar 1999 Dutch computer scientist (1930 to 2002) we know that for the sake of reliability and intellectual control we have to keep the design simple and disentangled, and in individual cases we have been remarkably successful, but we do not know how to reach simplicity in a systematic manner. ↗Computing Science: Achievements and Challenges (EWD1284)cs.utexas.edu · 1 Mar 1999All korrents from this piece

   Their wordswe know that for the sake of reliability and intellectual control we have to keep the design simple and disentangled, and in individual cases we have been remarkably successful, but we do not know how to reach simplicity in a systematic manner.

   ↗Computing Science: Achievements and Challenges (EWD1284)cs.utexas.edu

   1 Mar 1999

Focus and simplicity are worth the work: simple can be harder than complex, because the thinking has to be got clean, but once there one can move mountains.

Mental modelLess, but better

1. Steve Jobs 14 May 1998 American entrepreneur (1955 to 2011) Everything just got simpler. That's been one of my mantras -- focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains. ↗Steve Jobs: 'There's sanity returning' (Business Week, May 1998): Q&Aweb.archive.org · 14 May 1998All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsEverything just got simpler. That's been one of my mantras -- focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.

   ↗Steve Jobs: 'There's sanity returning' (Business Week, May 1998): Q&Aweb.archive.org

   14 May 1998

Simplicity takes hard work to achieve and education to appreciate, and complexity sells better.

Mental modelLess, but better

1. Edsger W. Dijkstra 10 Aug 1984 Dutch computer scientist (1930 to 2002) Simplicity is a great virtue but it requires hard work to achieve it and education to appreciate it. And to make matters worse: complexity sells better. ↗On the nature of Computing Science (EWD896)cs.utexas.edu · 10 Aug 1984All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsSimplicity is a great virtue but it requires hard work to achieve it and education to appreciate it. And to make matters worse: complexity sells better.

   ↗On the nature of Computing Science (EWD896)cs.utexas.edu

   10 Aug 1984

Introducing a complicated concept earns credit; showing that an established complicated concept is better avoided rarely does.

1. Edsger W. Dijkstra 10 Aug 1984 Dutch computer scientist (1930 to 2002) One can get credit for some complicated concepts one has introduced, it is hard to get credit for the discovery how some established but complicated concepts had better be avoided ↗On the nature of Computing Science (EWD896)cs.utexas.edu · 10 Aug 1984All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsOne can get credit for some complicated concepts one has introduced, it is hard to get credit for the discovery how some established but complicated concepts had better be avoided

   ↗On the nature of Computing Science (EWD896)cs.utexas.edu

   10 Aug 1984

Shortening a piece of writing takes time: a letter can run long simply for want of leisure to make it shorter.

1. Blaise Pascal 4 Dec 1656 French mathematician and philosopher (1623 to 1662) The present letter is a very long one, simply because I had no leisure to make it shorter. ↗The Provincial Letters (tr. Thomas M'Crie, 1856)gutenberg.org · 4 Dec 1656All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsThe present letter is a very long one, simply because I had no leisure to make it shorter.

   ↗The Provincial Letters (tr. Thomas M'Crie, 1856)gutenberg.org

   4 Dec 1656

Half of the product job is saying no to another tab or sidebar item, and folding a proven experiment in without killing it too early.

1. Mike Krieger 10 Sept 2026 Works in Anthropic Labs; co-founder of Instagram half of the job is saying no to another thing in the sidebar or another tab or another thing and figuring out Can this be rolled in once we've proven it out but not killing it so early. ↗Why Claude can’t be your PM (yet) | Anthropic CPO Panel (Lenny & Friends Summit, San Francisco, 10 September 2026)youtube.com · 10 Sept 2026 · 26:50 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordshalf of the job is saying no to another thing in the sidebar or another tab or another thing and figuring out Can this be rolled in once we've proven it out but not killing it so early.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 26:50 plays here

   ↗Why Claude can’t be your PM (yet) | Anthropic CPO Panel (Lenny & Friends Summit, San Francisco, 10 September 2026)youtube.com

   10 Sept 2026 · video · 28m · spoken · machine transcript

One of the hardest things is to say no to incredible ideas and incredible products.

1. Evil Rabbit 2 Sept 2026 Founding designer at Vercel one of the hardest things and I and I I saw this recently is actually to say no to these incredible ideas, to these incredible products, you know. ↗Evil Rabbit - The story of Evil Rabbit and designing Vercelyoutube.com · 2 Sept 2026 · 17:58 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsone of the hardest things and I and I I saw this recently is actually to say no to these incredible ideas, to these incredible products, you know.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 17:58 plays here

   ↗Evil Rabbit - The story of Evil Rabbit and designing Vercelyoutube.com

   2 Sept 2026 · video · 51m · spoken · machine transcript

Software tends to get slower, more bloated, buggier and bigger as it evolves, unless it is designed from the outset to prevent that.

1. Guillermo Rauch 25 Aug 2026, 02:48 UTC CEO of Vercel; creator of Next.js and Socket.IO As software evolves, it tends to get slower, more bloated, buggier, and bigger. ↗@rauchg on Xx.com · 25 Aug 2026

   Their wordsAs software evolves, it tends to get slower, more bloated, buggier, and bigger.

   ↗@rauchg on Xx.com

   25 Aug 2026

A strong culture of unshipping helps remove complexity and focus on a product's strengths.

1. John Bai 25 Aug 2026 Designer at SpaceXAI in New York working on Grok Bot within cursor, we have a strong culture of unshipping. And I I'm really glad we do because that helped us remove a lot of the complexity and focus on the strengths of the Grockbot app itself. ↗John Bai - The Grok Bot design journeyyoutube.com · 25 Aug 2026 · 34:40 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordswithin cursor, we have a strong culture of unshipping. And I I'm really glad we do because that helped us remove a lot of the complexity and focus on the strengths of the Grockbot app itself.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 34:40 plays here

   ↗John Bai - The Grok Bot design journeyyoutube.com

   25 Aug 2026 · video · 48m · spoken · machine transcript

Everything shipped is the distillation of the 99 nos that preceded it.

Mental modelLess, but better

1. Jason Yuan 15 Jul 2026 Designer and founder of Hivemind Every single thing we shipped is the distillation of a 99 nose that preceded it. ↗Jason Yuan - Designing 99 "No"s for a single "Yes"youtube.com · 15 Jul 2026 · 11:41 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsEvery single thing we shipped is the distillation of a 99 nose that preceded it.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 11:41 plays here

   ↗Jason Yuan - Designing 99 "No"s for a single "Yes"youtube.com

   15 Jul 2026 · video · 57m · spoken · machine transcript

Taste is just saying no and judgment; liking everything means having no taste, because having taste means disliking some things.

1. Jason Yuan 15 Jul 2026 Designer and founder of Hivemind Taste is just saying no. Taste is just judgment. It's going like I like this, I don't like this. And if you liked everything, then you have no taste because having taste means you don't like some things. ↗Jason Yuan - Designing 99 "No"s for a single "Yes"youtube.com · 15 Jul 2026 · 52:55 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsTaste is just saying no. Taste is just judgment. It's going like I like this, I don't like this. And if you liked everything, then you have no taste because having taste means you don't like some things.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 52:55 plays here

   ↗Jason Yuan - Designing 99 "No"s for a single "Yes"youtube.com

   15 Jul 2026 · video · 57m · spoken · machine transcript

Just because something can be built as a function does not mean it needs to be, and adding it brings a lot of product bloat and complexity.

1. Meaghan Choi 8 Jul 2026 Design Lead for Claude Code at Anthropic Just because it can build and just because it can be a function doesn't mean it needs to be. It adds a lot of product bloat. It makes it very complex. ↗Meaghan Choi - Designing Claude Code (and what's coming next)youtube.com · 8 Jul 2026 · 47:13 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsJust because it can build and just because it can be a function doesn't mean it needs to be. It adds a lot of product bloat. It makes it very complex.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 47:13 plays here

   ↗Meaghan Choi - Designing Claude Code (and what's coming next)youtube.com

   8 Jul 2026 · video · 53m · spoken · machine transcript

In terms of full functionality, things can be a little simpler than they are now; not every idea is good or necessary, and sometimes adding it is worse.

1. Meaghan Choi 8 Jul 2026 Design Lead for Claude Code at Anthropic in terms of like full functionality, things can be a little bit simpler than they are right now. And not every idea is good or necessary. Sometimes adding it is worse. ↗Meaghan Choi - Designing Claude Code (and what's coming next)youtube.com · 8 Jul 2026 · 47:24 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsin terms of like full functionality, things can be a little bit simpler than they are right now. And not every idea is good or necessary. Sometimes adding it is worse.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 47:24 plays here

   ↗Meaghan Choi - Designing Claude Code (and what's coming next)youtube.com

   8 Jul 2026 · video · 53m · spoken · machine transcript

Small teams should remove all unnecessary complexity

1. David Heinemeier Hansson 29 Apr 2024 Creator of Ruby on Rails, CTO of 37signals Never aspire to a more complicated stack than what your application calls for ↗We're moving continuous integration back to developer machinesworld.hey.com · 29 Apr 2024All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsNever aspire to a more complicated stack than what your application calls for

   ↗We're moving continuous integration back to developer machinesworld.hey.com

   29 Apr 2024

Software should unbloat over time: the longer it is around, the more elegant it should become.

1. Craig Mod 1 Jul 2019 Writer, photographer and software maker based in Japan I love software that does this: Software that unbloats over time. This should be the goal of all software. The longer it’s around, the more elegant it should become. Smooth over like a river stone. ↗Fast Software, the Best Softwarecraigmod.com · 1 Jul 2019

   Their wordsI love software that does this: Software that unbloats over time. This should be the goal of all software. The longer it’s around, the more elegant it should become. Smooth over like a river stone.

   ↗Fast Software, the Best Softwarecraigmod.com

   1 Jul 2019

The Web spread so fast largely because of its simplicity, and making it more complicated too quickly would be a loss.

1. Steve Jobs 1 Feb 1996 American entrepreneur (1955 to 2011) One of the major reasons for the Web's proliferation so far is its simplicity. A lot of people want to make the Web more complicated. They want to put processing on the clients, they want to do this and that. I hope not too much of that happens too quickly. ↗Steve Jobs: The Next Insanely Great Thing (Wired, February 1996), interview by Gary Wolfwired.com · 1 Feb 1996All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsOne of the major reasons for the Web's proliferation so far is its simplicity. A lot of people want to make the Web more complicated. They want to put processing on the clients, they want to do this and that. I hope not too much of that happens too quickly.

   ↗Steve Jobs: The Next Insanely Great Thing (Wired, February 1996), interview by Gary Wolfwired.com

   1 Feb 1996

A designer's edge now is pulling things back, making them simpler and more understandable, because everyone can kind of execute right now.

1. Charlie Deets 29 Jul 2026 Designer at The Browser Company working on Dia I I can pull things back. I can make it simpler. I can make it more understandable for the user. And yes, I care about making sure that button works exactly right or whatever. And I could have went in in there and fixed it. But if I keep staying like on this end of the equation where I'm thinking in this realm, I'm more novel over there than I am in the execution realm cuz like everyone can kind of execute right now. ↗Charlie Deets - Designing the internet computeryoutube.com · 29 Jul 2026 · 15:47 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsI I can pull things back. I can make it simpler. I can make it more understandable for the user. And yes, I care about making sure that button works exactly right or whatever. And I could have went in in there and fixed it. But if I keep staying like on this end of the equation where I'm thinking in this realm, I'm more novel over there than I am in the execution realm cuz like everyone can kind of execute right now.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 15:47 plays here

   ↗Charlie Deets - Designing the internet computeryoutube.com

   29 Jul 2026 · video · 54m · spoken · machine transcript

AI acceleration threatens 'less software': without the constraint of scarce hours, even 37signals will likely build too much.

1. David Heinemeier Hansson 26 Jul 2026 Creator of Ruby on Rails, CTO of 37signals So, this is why I'm quite skeptical about all this new AI acceleration we're having is even us, I think it's quite likely that we could use it wrong to build too much software, to get too far away from less software, learnable software. It still has to fit in the mind of a human. ↗DHH: How to Build a Profitable Company Without Losing Controlyoutube.com · 26 Jul 2026 · 0:09:00 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsSo, this is why I'm quite skeptical about all this new AI acceleration we're having is even us, I think it's quite likely that we could use it wrong to build too much software, to get too far away from less software, learnable software. It still has to fit in the mind of a human.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 0:09:00 plays here

   ↗DHH: How to Build a Profitable Company Without Losing Controlyoutube.com

   26 Jul 2026 · video · 1h 41m · spoken · machine transcript

AI models want to add or patch as a form of making better, whereas the design process is really about editing away.

Mental modelLess, but better

1. Jason Yuan 15 Jul 2026 Designer and founder of Hivemind the AI models they want to add. They want to add or patch as a form of making better. But I I I think the design process is really about editing away. ↗Jason Yuan - Designing 99 "No"s for a single "Yes"youtube.com · 15 Jul 2026 · 52:17 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsthe AI models they want to add. They want to add or patch as a form of making better. But I I I think the design process is really about editing away.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 52:17 plays here

   ↗Jason Yuan - Designing 99 "No"s for a single "Yes"youtube.com

   15 Jul 2026 · video · 57m · spoken · machine transcript

Taste is editing with a point of view.

Mental modelTaste is trained

1. Jason Yuan 15 Jul 2026 Designer and founder of Hivemind when people talk online about taste, taste, taste, taste, taste. All taste is, I think, is editing from with a point of view. ↗Jason Yuan - Designing 99 "No"s for a single "Yes"youtube.com · 15 Jul 2026 · 52:47 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordswhen people talk online about taste, taste, taste, taste, taste. All taste is, I think, is editing from with a point of view.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 52:47 plays here

   ↗Jason Yuan - Designing 99 "No"s for a single "Yes"youtube.com

   15 Jul 2026 · video · 57m · spoken · machine transcript

Beyond tool fluency, systems thinking matters: distilling what is important so that it becomes replicable, in the interest of making AI a precision tool.

1. Loredana Crisan 24 Jun 2026 Chief Design Officer at Figma Outside of tools, I think it's this system thinking and this idea of like, can I distill what's important here? Is there a way to extract this so that it becomes replicable and like that is in the interest of making AI a precision tool. ↗Loredana Crisan - Figma's big bets for the future of AI designyoutube.com · 24 Jun 2026 · 20:34 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsOutside of tools, I think it's this system thinking and this idea of like, can I distill what's important here? Is there a way to extract this so that it becomes replicable and like that is in the interest of making AI a precision tool.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 20:34 plays here

   ↗Loredana Crisan - Figma's big bets for the future of AI designyoutube.com

   24 Jun 2026 · video · 50m · spoken · machine transcript

Design should be the tip of the spear for desirability, and taste, editing and deciding what matters are skills that have long had their home in design practice.

1. Katarina Batina 12 May 2026 Design Director for the Shop app at Shopify design should be the tip of the spear for desiraability. And I think that's probably the genesis of like if you extrapolate that comment out to like taste, editing, deciding what actually matters, that's a skill set that has been naturally a home in the design practice since before computers were invented. ↗Katarina Batina - Making big bets with designyoutube.com · 12 May 2026 · 31:44 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsdesign should be the tip of the spear for desiraability. And I think that's probably the genesis of like if you extrapolate that comment out to like taste, editing, deciding what actually matters, that's a skill set that has been naturally a home in the design practice since before computers were invented.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 31:44 plays here

   ↗Katarina Batina - Making big bets with designyoutube.com

   12 May 2026 · video · 55m · spoken · machine transcript

Editing, focusing on the most critical aspects of an experience and being really disciplined about it, has become an important part of the design job.

1. Katarina Batina 12 May 2026 Design Director for the Shop app at Shopify Editing has been an important part of the job as of recently. um really focusing in on what is the most critical aspects of our experience and getting really really disciplined about that. ↗Katarina Batina - Making big bets with designyoutube.com · 12 May 2026 · 35:52 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsEditing has been an important part of the job as of recently. um really focusing in on what is the most critical aspects of our experience and getting really really disciplined about that.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 35:52 plays here

   ↗Katarina Batina - Making big bets with designyoutube.com

   12 May 2026 · video · 55m · spoken · machine transcript

The best use of faster tools is to take the limited scope that is really essential and execute it to a bar people have never seen, instead of creating more scope.

1. Josh Puckett 12 Mar 2026 Designer, advisor and investor what I think we should all be trying to push towards now that we have tools that help us like go, you know, further, and we can get there faster, and we can explore more surface area. And we should use them for things like this. So, instead of creating more scope, right, how do we take the limited amount of scope that is really essential and just execute it to a bar that, you know, folks maybe haven't have never seen before ↗Josh Puckett - Crafting interfaces with uncommon careyoutube.com · 12 Mar 2026 · 24:12 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordswhat I think we should all be trying to push towards now that we have tools that help us like go, you know, further, and we can get there faster, and we can explore more surface area. And we should use them for things like this. So, instead of creating more scope, right, how do we take the limited amount of scope that is really essential and just execute it to a bar that, you know, folks maybe haven't have never seen before

   Where this was said

   Watch from 24:12 plays here

   ↗Josh Puckett - Crafting interfaces with uncommon careyoutube.com

   12 Mar 2026 · video · 53m · spoken · machine transcript

New technologies should be used to explore more broadly and go deeper, not to do more things, and distilling and refining to the essence is how something great is made.

1. Josh Puckett 12 Mar 2026 Designer, advisor and investor you should be using these new technologies to explore more broadly and go deeper as a result, not just try to do more things or other things, but take what you have and really distill it, refine it, again to its essence, and that's how you make something great. ↗Josh Puckett - Crafting interfaces with uncommon careyoutube.com · 12 Mar 2026 · 52:38 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsyou should be using these new technologies to explore more broadly and go deeper as a result, not just try to do more things or other things, but take what you have and really distill it, refine it, again to its essence, and that's how you make something great.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 52:38 plays here

   ↗Josh Puckett - Crafting interfaces with uncommon careyoutube.com

   12 Mar 2026 · video · 53m · spoken · machine transcript

Something about design, especially high design now, feels utterly sexless: sanding away anything arousing or objectionable creates essentially nothing, which is the ultimate slop.

1. Jason Yuan 15 Jul 2026 Designer and founder of Hivemind I think there's something about design, especially high design now, that feels utterly sexless. There's no desire. There's no lust. We've sanded away anything that could potentially be arousing, but also we've sanded away anything that feels, I guess, objectionable, but in doing so, we've created essentially nothing. And to me that is the ultimate slop. ↗Jason Yuan - Designing 99 "No"s for a single "Yes"youtube.com · 15 Jul 2026 · 55:43 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsI think there's something about design, especially high design now, that feels utterly sexless. There's no desire. There's no lust. We've sanded away anything that could potentially be arousing, but also we've sanded away anything that feels, I guess, objectionable, but in doing so, we've created essentially nothing. And to me that is the ultimate slop.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 55:43 plays here

   ↗Jason Yuan - Designing 99 "No"s for a single "Yes"youtube.com

   15 Jul 2026 · video · 57m · spoken · machine transcript

It is probably hard for a designer to edit their work too much, even though a sauce can be reduced too far.

1. Josh Puckett 12 Mar 2026 Designer, advisor and investor I think it would be hard for you as a designer to edit your work too much. It's like you're cooking a sauce, right? And you're trying to reduce it, you're trying to concentrate flavor and make it thicker. You can take it too far in, you know, a cooking world, but in the design world, I'm not sure that you can. ↗Josh Puckett - Crafting interfaces with uncommon careyoutube.com · 12 Mar 2026 · 26:01 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsI think it would be hard for you as a designer to edit your work too much. It's like you're cooking a sauce, right? And you're trying to reduce it, you're trying to concentrate flavor and make it thicker. You can take it too far in, you know, a cooking world, but in the design world, I'm not sure that you can.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 26:01 plays here

   ↗Josh Puckett - Crafting interfaces with uncommon careyoutube.com

   12 Mar 2026 · video · 53m · spoken · machine transcript

After a decade of Swiss minimalism, design is about to swing back to something far more expressive.

1. Dylan Field 16 Oct 2025 Co-founder and chief executive of Figma I think we're going to swing back to being way more expressive and draw as part of that story. ↗Figma’s CEO: Why AI makes design, craft, and quality the new moat for startups | Dylan Fieldyoutube.com · 16 Oct 2025 · 0:33:23 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsI think we're going to swing back to being way more expressive and draw as part of that story.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 0:33:23 plays here

   ↗Figma’s CEO: Why AI makes design, craft, and quality the new moat for startups | Dylan Fieldyoutube.com

   16 Oct 2025 · video · 1h 26m · spoken · machine transcript

The most powerful rule for an exceptional interface is that it feels obvious to use; novelty, minimalism and simplicity are means to that, not the end.

Mental modelConventions (Jakob's law)

1. Julie Zhuo 12 May 2025 Co-founder of Sundial; former vice president of product… Sometimes designers will go to great lengths to make a user interface novel, or minimal, or simple. This is the wrong goal. Novelty, minimalism or simplicity are good heuristics for obviousness, but do not mistake the means for the end. ↗Conversational Interfaces: the Good, the Ugly & the Billion-Dollar Opportunitylg.substack.com · 12 May 2025

   Their wordsSometimes designers will go to great lengths to make a user interface novel, or minimal, or simple. This is the wrong goal. Novelty, minimalism or simplicity are good heuristics for obviousness, but do not mistake the means for the end.

   ↗Conversational Interfaces: the Good, the Ugly & the Billion-Dollar Opportunitylg.substack.com

   12 May 2025

Good interface design uses clarity to hide complexity; good game design uses clarity to teach it.

Mental modelConservation of complexity

1. Raph Koster 29 Jun 2015 Game designer and theorist UX is about clarity that hides complexity, and game design is about clarity that teaches complexity. ↗Game design vs UX designraphkoster.com · 29 Jun 2015All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsUX is about clarity that hides complexity, and game design is about clarity that teaches complexity.

   ↗Game design vs UX designraphkoster.com

   29 Jun 2015

Convergence and simplicity make for poor goals in technology; aim for clarity instead.

1. Frank Chimero 18 Feb 2015 Designer and writer in New York Clearly, convergence and simplicity make for poor goals. Instead, we must aim for clarity. You can’t contain or reduce the torrent of technology, but you can channel it in a positive direction through proper framing and clear articulation. ↗The Web’s Grainfrankchimero.com · 18 Feb 2015

   Their wordsClearly, convergence and simplicity make for poor goals. Instead, we must aim for clarity. You can’t contain or reduce the torrent of technology, but you can channel it in a positive direction through proper framing and clear articulation.

   ↗The Web’s Grainfrankchimero.com

   18 Feb 2015

Providing a good conceptual model is the most important principle for taming complexity

Mental modelAffordances and signifiers

1. Don Norman c. 2013 Cognitive scientist and designer The most important principle for taming complexity is to provide a good conceptual model, which has already been well covered in this book. ↗The Design of Everyday Things (Basic Books, 2013, revised and expanded edition)books.google.com · c. 2013All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsThe most important principle for taming complexity is to provide a good conceptual model, which has already been well covered in this book.

   ↗The Design of Everyday Things (Basic Books, 2013, revised and expanded edition)books.google.com

   c. 2013

Simplifying often leaves you with more things, not fewer: simplicity is about not tangling things together, not about counting them.

Mental modelConservation of complexity

1. Rich Hickey c. 2011 Creator of the Clojure programming language and of Datomic And recognize that when you simplify things, you often end up with more things. Right? Simplicity is not about counting. ↗"Simple Made Easy" - Rich Hickey (2011)youtube.com · c. 2011 · 1:00:36 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsAnd recognize that when you simplify things, you often end up with more things. Right? Simplicity is not about counting.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 1:00:36 plays here

   ↗"Simple Made Easy" - Rich Hickey (2011)youtube.com

   c. 2011 · video · 1h 01m · spoken · machine transcript

Every application has an irreducible amount of complexity; the only question is who has to deal with it: the user, the application developer or the platform developer.

Mental modelConservation of complexity

1. Larry Tesler by 9 Aug 2011 American computer scientist in human-computer interaction (1945 to 2020) Every application has an inherent amount of irreducible complexity. The only question is: Who will have to deal with it—the user, the application developer, or the platform developer? ↗The Law of Conservation of Complexityweb.archive.org · by 9 Aug 2011All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsEvery application has an inherent amount of irreducible complexity. The only question is: Who will have to deal with it—the user, the application developer, or the platform developer?

   ↗The Law of Conservation of Complexityweb.archive.org

   by 9 Aug 2011

More emotions are better than fewer: when emotion comes first, do not be afraid to add ornament or layers of meaning.

1. John Maeda 11 Jun 2006 Designer and technologist More emotions are better than less. When emotions are considered above everything else, don’t be afraid to add more ornament or layers of meaning. ↗The Laws of Simplicity, Law 7: Emotionlawsofsimplicity.com · 11 Jun 2006

   Their wordsMore emotions are better than less. When emotions are considered above everything else, don’t be afraid to add more ornament or layers of meaning.

   ↗The Laws of Simplicity, Law 7: Emotionlawsofsimplicity.com

   11 Jun 2006

Concise writing does not mean short sentences or leaving out detail; it means making every word tell.

1. William Strunk Jr. c. 1918–1920 American professor of English at Cornell University (1869 to 1946) This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that he make every word tell. ↗The Elements of Style (1918)gutenberg.org · c. 1918–1920All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsThis requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that he make every word tell.

   ↗The Elements of Style (1918)gutenberg.org

   c. 1918–1920