<!DOCTYPE html><html lang="en"> <head><meta charset="utf-8"><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>The Laws of Simplicity / John Maeda</title><link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico"><!-- Legacy styles --><link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/default.css"><link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/styles.css"><link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/unsemantic-grid-responsive.css"><style>@media screen and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px){.grid-container[data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6]{padding-left:2em!important;padding-right:2em!important}}.aboutBook[data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6] .grid-35[data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6]{text-align:center}.aboutBook[data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6] img[data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6].cover{max-width:160px!important;width:160px!important;margin:0 auto}@media screen and (min-width: 768px){.aboutBook[data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6] .grid-60[data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6]{padding-right:2em}.aboutBook[data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6] .grid-35[data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6]{padding-left:1em}}@media screen and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 979px){.grid-container[data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6]{padding-left:3em!important;padding-right:3em!important}.aboutBook[data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6] img[data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6].cover{max-width:140px!important;width:140px!important}}
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</style></head> <body> <header class="legacy-header" data-ref="home" data-astro-cid-3ef6ksr2> <div class="grid-container" data-astro-cid-3ef6ksr2> <div class="grid-100" data-astro-cid-3ef6ksr2> <a href="/" aria-label="Home" data-astro-cid-3ef6ksr2> <img src="/images/logo-the-law-of-simplicity@2x.jpg" alt="The Laws of Simplicity" class="logo" data-astro-cid-3ef6ksr2> </a> <br data-astro-cid-3ef6ksr2> <a href="https://maedastudio.com" target="_blank" class="author-link" data-astro-cid-3ef6ksr2>John Maeda</a>  </div> </div> </header> <main style="min-height:60vh;">    <section class="laws" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <div class="grid-container" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <div class="grid-35 grid-parent" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <ul data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <li data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <div class="grid-25 mobile-grid-25" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <a href="/blog/law-1-reduce" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <img src="/images/law1.svg" class="icon" alt="Law 1 icon" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> </a> </div> <div class="grid-65 mobile-grid-75" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <a href="/blog/law-1-reduce" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <p class="title" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6>Law 1 / Reduce</p> <p data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6>The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction.</p> </a> </div> <div class="clear" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6></div> </li> <li data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <div class="grid-25 mobile-grid-25" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <a href="/blog/law-2-organize" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <img src="/images/law2.svg" class="icon" alt="Law 2 icon" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> </a> </div> <div class="grid-65 mobile-grid-75" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <a href="/blog/law-2-organize" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <p class="title" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6>Law 2 / Organize</p> <p data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6>Organization makes a system of many appear fewer.</p> </a> </div> <div class="clear" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6></div> </li> <li data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <div class="grid-25 mobile-grid-25" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <a href="/blog/law-3-time" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <img src="/images/law3.svg" class="icon" alt="Law 3 icon" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> </a> </div> <div class="grid-65 mobile-grid-75" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <a href="/blog/law-3-time" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <p class="title" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6>Law 3 / Time</p> <p data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6>Savings in time feel like simplicity.</p> </a> </div> <div class="clear" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6></div> </li> <li data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <div class="grid-25 mobile-grid-25" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <a href="/blog/law-4-learn" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <img src="/images/law4.svg" class="icon" alt="Law 4 icon" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> </a> </div> <div class="grid-65 mobile-grid-75" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <a href="/blog/law-4-learn" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <p class="title" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6>Law 4 / Learn</p> <p data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6>Knowledge makes everything simpler.</p> </a> </div> <div class="clear" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6></div> </li> <li data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <div class="grid-25 mobile-grid-25" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <a href="/blog/law-5-differences" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <img src="/images/law5.svg" class="icon" alt="Law 5 icon" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> </a> </div> <div class="grid-65 mobile-grid-75" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <a href="/blog/law-5-differences" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <p class="title" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6>Law 5 / Differences</p> <p data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6>Simplicity and complexity need each other.</p> </a> </div> <div class="clear" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6></div> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="grid-35 suffix-30 grid-parent" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <ul data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <li data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <div class="grid-25 mobile-grid-25" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <a href="/blog/law-6-context" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <img src="/images/law6.svg" class="icon" alt="Law 6 icon" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> </a> </div> <div class="grid-65 mobile-grid-75" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <a href="/blog/law-6-context" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <p class="title" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6>Law 6 / Context</p> <p data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6>What lies in the periphery of simplicity is definitely not peripheral.</p> </a> </div> <div class="clear" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6></div> </li> <li data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <div class="grid-25 mobile-grid-25" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <a href="/blog/law-7-emotion" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <img src="/images/law7.svg" class="icon" alt="Law 7 icon" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> </a> </div> <div class="grid-65 mobile-grid-75" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <a href="/blog/law-7-emotion" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <p class="title" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6>Law 7 / Emotion</p> <p data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6>More emotions are better than less.</p> </a> </div> <div class="clear" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6></div> </li> <li data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <div class="grid-25 mobile-grid-25" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <a href="/blog/law-8-trust" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <img src="/images/law8.svg" class="icon" alt="Law 8 icon" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> </a> </div> <div class="grid-65 mobile-grid-75" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <a href="/blog/law-8-trust" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <p class="title" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6>Law 8 / Trust</p> <p data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6>In simplicity we trust.</p> </a> </div> <div class="clear" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6></div> </li> <li data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <div class="grid-25 mobile-grid-25" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <a href="/blog/law-9-failure" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <img src="/images/law9.svg" class="icon" alt="Law 9 icon" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> </a> </div> <div class="grid-65 mobile-grid-75" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <a href="/blog/law-9-failure" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <p class="title" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6>Law 9 / Failure</p> <p data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6>Some things can never be made simple.</p> </a> </div> <div class="clear" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6></div> </li> <li data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <div class="grid-25 mobile-grid-25" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <a href="/blog/law-10-the-one" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <img src="/images/law10.svg" class="icon" alt="Law 10 icon" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> </a> </div> <div class="grid-65 mobile-grid-75" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <a href="/blog/law-10-the-one" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <p class="title" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6>Law 10 / The One</p> <p data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6>Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful.</p> </a> </div> <div class="clear" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6></div> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="clear" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6></div> </div> </section> <div class="hr" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6></div>  <section class="aboutBook" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <div class="grid-container" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <div class="grid-60" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <p class="intro" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <em data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6>The Laws of Simplicity</em> is a 100-page book I wrote just as the Apple iPod was starting to
					take off and while I was earning my MBA as a kind of hobby. LOS has been translated into more than
					14 different languages — and has now been around for over a decade. I never finished the sequel to
					LOS, but I wrote a short book on design, tech, and leadership as a form of therapy, entitled
<em data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6>Redesigning Leadership</em>.
</p> <p data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6>
Thank you for being curious about the <em data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6>Laws of Simplicity</em>. A lot has changed in the technology
					world since I first wrote it, so I hope that you can use the parts (and Laws and Keys) that appear
					to be standing the test of time.
</p> </div> <div class="grid-35 suffix-5" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> <img src="/images/book-cover-the-laws-of-simplicity.jpg" alt="Book cover" class="cover" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6> </div> <div class="clear" data-astro-cid-j7pv25f6></div> </div> </section>  </main> <footer class="legacy-footer" data-astro-cid-sz7xmlte> <div class="grid-container" data-astro-cid-sz7xmlte> <div class="grid-70 copyRight" data-astro-cid-sz7xmlte>
Copyright 2005 - 2025 <span class="hide-on-mobile" data-astro-cid-sz7xmlte>, </span><br class="hide-on-desktop" data-astro-cid-sz7xmlte>
John Maeda
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