This morning, the first notification I saw on my phone was this quote by the painter Hans Hoffman.
“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.”
This quote resonated with me because, letting the necessary speak, for me, is the essence of what a designer sets out to accomplish, whether they are building products, improving experiences, designing better services, seeking feedback, or communicating their ideas.
Removing the unnecessary to get to the necessary is not a simple task.
Complexity comes in different forms, from rules both apparent and unwritten, culture, expectations, time, budget, skill, assumptions, the past, the future, goals, internal and external pressures, just to name a few. Think of these as layers that cover up the necessary and keep it from surfacing.
It takes effort, courage, patience, passion, skill, mindfulness, and determination to peel back the layers of complexity to access the necessary so it may speak.
And once the necessary speaks, we must continue to protect it from the pressures of the unnecessary with all our might, which is why design is never finished.
A designer’s job is never finished.
May you keep simplifying for what truly matters! ✊🏽