 It changes your daily life in a way
Still in the middle of this book, and although Maeda's line of organizing his ideas throughout the book is not the GREATEST one, lessons themselves are easy and inspiring to understand and get some parts of your daily life somehow different... especially when you deal with such a huge mass of information.
 Simply don't read it
- The title is grand and but the content verges on filler anecdotes
- Maeda writes prosaically, meandering through numbered chapters.
- Where does Madea work? MIT, MIT, MIT, MIT. We get it.
- The acronyms are incredibly hard to remember.
- Why are there 10 rules instead of 11 or 3?
+ Thankfully, the book is short.
+ Tufte's "Envisioning Information" is the book you should read, if you haven't already, dealing with *this* subject thoughtfully and usefully.
- It feels like Maeda wanted to sink his design fangs into simplicity but while writing decided to save his teeth.
 "If you can't describe it simply, you can't use it simply."
I watched a show about design on Ovation TV and it featured this book. At first glance, the book seems engaging and interesting. As I read on I felt like I was in a work sales meeting with acronyms a plenty. Don't get me wrong this book had a lot of interesting points but it was more work to read trying to remember all of the authors many acronyms. "If you can't describe it simply, you can't use it simply."--Anon
 Simplicity Sells
Technology has created a swarm of information. People need technology presented to them in a simple way. Companies that achieve technology simplicity gain market success and market acceptance. However, simplicity is expense to achieve, but simplicity sells. People love design that makes their life simpler. For example, the microwave design and convenience created strong market demand. The demand for the microwave increase supply and competition drove down profit margins and price. Today, almost everyone owns a microwave oven. Simplicity can be achieved by reducing, organizing, timing, learning, understanding differences, putting things into context, understanding emotion, gaining trust, learning through failure, and adding meaning. Openness simplifies complexity. The more available resources the less complex barriers exist; use less to gain more; move away and gain perspective.
What I would like?
I want a new Apple iPad. I think the design and applications are simple to use and understand and add meaning.
I want a microwave with an iPad interface for understanding how to cook food, safety, and a perfect meal every time. Why does a microwave need to be some complicated? Why doesn't the computer measure the food temperature and cook the food to the optimum level everytime with a simple push of the button?
Simply Outstanding
The Laws of Simplicity is a concise summary of John Maeda's thoughts on design. I found this book to be an awakening of subconscious design principles we already posses. It was not a text book explanation of esoteric theories from an academic. All of the authors 'laws' were related to real world observations and application. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is involved in product development of any type, and especially for those involved in software.
To quote the author's mentor "Be a lightbulb not a laser beam." Read the book and you'll get an illuminated feeling and a better understanding of your own thoughts on design.
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