Designer and technologist; author of The Laws of Simplicity; former president of the Rhode Island School of Design; formerly at the MIT Media Lab.
We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.
3 of John Maeda's claims fit 2 mental models. Most often: Less, but better, Speed is a feature.
Find the essence and cut the rest; simplicity is hard work, not the absence of effort.
Their wordsThe simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction. When in doubt, just remove. But be careful of what you remove.
Their wordsSimplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful.
Fast software feels simple, and waiting makes everything feel complicated.
Their wordsWhen forced to wait, life seems unnecessarily complex. Savings in time feel like simplicity. And we are thankfully loyal when it happens, which is rare.