Simplicity is the reduction of unnecessary decisions.
Simplicity is not about minimalism, nor is it about style. It’s about effort — specifically, the effort required for someone to understand what they’re seeing.
Every design decision asks something of its audience. More decisions mean more work. Fewer decisions collapse the distance between seeing and understanding.
Designs that feel effortless usually are. Not because they were easy to make, but because unnecessary choices were removed. When a design works, you struggle to add or remove anything without making it worse — not because it’s precious, but because it’s resolved.
Clarity is not achieved by adding polish. It’s achieved by subtraction.