Laws of Simplicity

Laws of Simplicity http://lawsofsimplicity.com Most recent posts at Laws of Simplicity posterous.com Tue, 28 Dec 2010 14:40:52 -0800 SLIP Tool Resurrected http://lawsofsimplicity.com/slip-tool-resurrected http://lawsofsimplicity.com/slip-tool-resurrected http://www.maedastudio.com/2006/slip/index.php

It is a bit rusty by Web 2010 standards but still works. Phew. -JM

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/928678/maedaicon2lg.png http://posterous.com/users/37qUw2xNzJ8B John Maeda risdpresident John Maeda Sat, 23 Oct 2010 14:22:00 -0700 Life Simplified by Posterous http://lawsofsimplicity.com/life-simplified-by-posterous http://lawsofsimplicity.com/life-simplified-by-posterous

The security for my original website for lawsofsimplicity.com was compromised (I had handcoded edits to Wordpress 2.0.2 which is sort of old now and thus it became insecure ...) and given that I don't have that much time to fix things I looked for a better solution. The content got mangled in the import over here, but I'm happy that at least some of it remains. -JM

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/928678/maedaicon2lg.png http://posterous.com/users/37qUw2xNzJ8B John Maeda risdpresident John Maeda Mon, 22 Dec 2008 01:17:29 -0800 Hmmm http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/12/21/hmmm http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/12/21/hmmm Life's been quite busy for me since I became the President of the Rhode Island School of Design. The Laws have been useful for me and I hope to be able to get my mind together in due time to share those experiences with you. Thank you for checking on this site periodically. It's not over yet. Best regards, John Maeda

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/928678/maedaicon2lg.png http://posterous.com/users/37qUw2xNzJ8B John Maeda risdpresident John Maeda Tue, 12 Aug 2008 04:01:08 -0700 Muji http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/08/11/muji http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/08/11/muji

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I've always been a fan of the Muji brand. And I especially like how simply Muji expresses their point that achieving simplicity is deceptively complex because it is a thoughtful process.

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/928678/maedaicon2lg.png http://posterous.com/users/37qUw2xNzJ8B John Maeda risdpresident John Maeda Sat, 02 Aug 2008 15:14:05 -0700 The Tao of Warren Buffet http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/08/02/the-tao-of-warren-buffet http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/08/02/the-tao-of-warren-buffet

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I'm not a Buffettologist but this book might have become my first step towards that path. I particularly enjoyed No. 47:

In looking for someone to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. But the most important is integrity, because if they don't have that, the other two qualities, intelligence and energy, are going to kill you.

Feels very law10();?>-ish to me.

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/928678/maedaicon2lg.png http://posterous.com/users/37qUw2xNzJ8B John Maeda risdpresident John Maeda Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:49:34 -0700 Laws Recast http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/07/23/laws-recast http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/07/23/laws-recast I enjoyed MobiusView's simplication of the Laws as "simplify, learn, connect." As my late mentor Paul Rand once said to me, "There's nothing better than free advice." (smile)

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/928678/maedaicon2lg.png http://posterous.com/users/37qUw2xNzJ8B John Maeda risdpresident John Maeda Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:04:42 -0700 Update http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/07/19/update http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/07/19/update Hello, I still intend to blog here when my life gets law2();?>-ed again. Until then please visit http://our.risd.edu where I am blogging. In addition I trickle some content to my blog at TR. Since Twitter-ing is easier than blogging I have started that. And if you are ever in Providence and want to go on a jog visit here. Thank you for visiting LOS, John

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/928678/maedaicon2lg.png http://posterous.com/users/37qUw2xNzJ8B John Maeda risdpresident John Maeda Sat, 19 Apr 2008 21:47:18 -0700 Returns http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/04/19/returns http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/04/19/returns Sorry this site went down. There was some catastrophic problem with my webhosting service. Miraculously it's all back. Sigh of relief.

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/928678/maedaicon2lg.png http://posterous.com/users/37qUw2xNzJ8B John Maeda risdpresident John Maeda Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:12:24 -0700 Twofers Are More as Less http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/04/01/twofers-are-more-as-less http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/04/01/twofers-are-more-as-less

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I enjoyed the floor numbering signage at the new Boston ICA. Note that Braille lettering is integrated into the actual numeral displayed. It reminded me of a bar of soap I wrote about a while back. Such combinations of possibilities strike me as odd because they are two-in-ones and are essentially more but they feel like less. I guess it's about how they are law2();?>-ed.

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/928678/maedaicon2lg.png http://posterous.com/users/37qUw2xNzJ8B John Maeda risdpresident John Maeda Fri, 28 Mar 2008 03:14:16 -0700 March 31 / Reebok Emoretion Launch http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/03/27/march-31-reebok-emoretion-launch http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/03/27/march-31-reebok-emoretion-launch

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My new limited edition shoe collaboration with Reebok will be launched on March 31, 2008. The new emoretion is my take on a Reebok classic Freestyle based upon the 7th law law7();?>: More emotions are better than less. To develop the emoretion I worked with Reebok to come up with 67 words that became the "style DNA" for these shoes -- words like confident, genius, and fearless. FYI The first shoe I did with Reebok called "timetanium" was based upon the 3rd law law3();?> and sold out in 14 hours.

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/928678/maedaicon2lg.png http://posterous.com/users/37qUw2xNzJ8B John Maeda risdpresident John Maeda Mon, 24 Mar 2008 01:49:59 -0700 The Illusion of Speed http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/03/23/the-illusion-of-speed http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/03/23/the-illusion-of-speed

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Whenever I travel, I am always on the lookout for the right kind of chocolate-as-a-gift. This is often a difficult choice as although the taste of the chocolate is certainly important, the packaging is often an important constraint as well. Tourist-focused chocolates might have a landmark imprinted on the package -- say the Eiffel tower or Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Finding the right degree of authenticity is one thing I seek. For the above chocolate bar series I was drawn to the simplicity of the packaging style. The chocolate is clearly visible and a sticker is slapped onto the transparent sleeve. I felt it was an key2();?> approach first of all because the candy was not hidden behind gold foil or what-not. And in addition I sensed that the packaging process itself was one that took very little law3();?> either to conceive or execute. My takeaway was that freshness is supported by the illusion that thoughtful haste has been applied in presentation of an object.

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/928678/maedaicon2lg.png http://posterous.com/users/37qUw2xNzJ8B John Maeda risdpresident John Maeda Sat, 22 Mar 2008 19:15:31 -0700 Plug-and-Chomp http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/03/22/plug-and-chomp http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/03/22/plug-and-chomp

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On my recent visit to CEBit in Germany, I expected my hotel room to have the usual European sentiment of a chocolate candy on the pillow. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to see a USB thumbdrive in a bright pink box! I quickly wondered how many mega- or gigabytes were in this odd freebie, only to discover that it was a chocolate in disguise. Kilocals instead of kilobytes. Oh well.

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/928678/maedaicon2lg.png http://posterous.com/users/37qUw2xNzJ8B John Maeda risdpresident John Maeda Mon, 17 Mar 2008 01:07:19 -0700 Todoist http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/03/16/todoist http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/03/16/todoist I just subscribed to Todoist which is a simple "to-do list" manager that is remarkably sophisticated. Finally a simplified way to law2();?> my list of tasks across multiple devices.

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/928678/maedaicon2lg.png http://posterous.com/users/37qUw2xNzJ8B John Maeda risdpresident John Maeda Sun, 09 Mar 2008 17:23:09 -0700 Sasabune: Trust Me http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/03/09/sasabune-trust-me http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/03/09/sasabune-trust-me

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If you are ever in Los Angeles and are looking for an omakase experience as I mention in LOS, I suggest you visit Sasabune's in Los Angeles. Just say how much you have in your pocket, and the rest is left up to the Master. Trust me!

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/928678/maedaicon2lg.png http://posterous.com/users/37qUw2xNzJ8B John Maeda risdpresident John Maeda Sat, 08 Mar 2008 19:04:26 -0800 Is it Failing? http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/03/08/is-it-failing http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/03/08/is-it-failing

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Recently I had the opportunity to engage in a public debate on the Economist.com with the brilliant Richard Szafranski on the topic "If the promise of technology is to simplify our lives, it is failing." In my defense of innovation and technology I found a renewed optimism that I haven't felt in quite a while. Mr. Szafranski pointed to some of the key issues of technology that we quite conveniently forget, and I was heartened to engage in his ideas. I do sincerely believe that the next phases of technology development will be for the better because we have no other choice really. Failure cannot be the accepted state for the future.

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/928678/maedaicon2lg.png http://posterous.com/users/37qUw2xNzJ8B John Maeda risdpresident John Maeda Mon, 18 Feb 2008 04:03:00 -0800 It's Not About the Coffee http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/02/17/its-not-about-the-coffee http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/02/17/its-not-about-the-coffee

I'm not a heavy Starbucks drinker, but I think practically everyone I know is. There seem to be a lot of books about Starbucks, but this particular one hit the spot for me and scored as a Venti. I enjoyed Howard Behar's wisdom, and particularly this quote he had collected and placed on his wall, "If there was no praise or criticism in the world, then who would you be?" It felt very much like the one thing to remember for me.

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/928678/maedaicon2lg.png http://posterous.com/users/37qUw2xNzJ8B John Maeda risdpresident John Maeda Wed, 02 Jan 2008 02:25:49 -0800 The Simplest Telephone http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/01/01/the-simplest-telephone http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2008/01/01/the-simplest-telephone

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A month ago while in line to get on the plane at London Heathrow airport, I spied this old-style telephone with absolutely no buttons or display screen. There's no confusion and nothing really to law4();?>. True simplicity? In one sense so, but also limited utility.

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/928678/maedaicon2lg.png http://posterous.com/users/37qUw2xNzJ8B John Maeda risdpresident John Maeda Wed, 26 Dec 2007 15:30:10 -0800 Xmas Bonanza http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2007/12/26/xmas-bonanza http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2007/12/26/xmas-bonanza

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I got myself a nice gift this year of a Pleo, and from my family I received a gift with a subtle hint. Maybe my next foray in product design should be ... mugs?

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/928678/maedaicon2lg.png http://posterous.com/users/37qUw2xNzJ8B John Maeda risdpresident John Maeda Fri, 21 Dec 2007 05:19:05 -0800 RISD http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2007/12/21/risd http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2007/12/21/risd I will become the next President of RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) starting June of 2008. For more information please visit here.

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/928678/maedaicon2lg.png http://posterous.com/users/37qUw2xNzJ8B John Maeda risdpresident John Maeda Thu, 13 Dec 2007 12:47:42 -0800 TDC Bccks http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2007/12/13/tdc-bccks http://lawsofsimplicity.com/2007/12/13/tdc-bccks

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I designed a minibook for the anniversary of the Tokyo Type Director's Club that is running as an exhibition this month in Tokyo at a variety of venues including Tsutaya Roppongi, Ginza Graphic Gallery, and Aoyama Book Center. The contents are visible here.

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/928678/maedaicon2lg.png http://posterous.com/users/37qUw2xNzJ8B John Maeda risdpresident John Maeda