The psychology of Simple: why it’s so hard to achieve in design

We have all been there — staring at a blank screen, looking for a flicker of creativity, and putting off the best of our ideas in hopes for better times to come. It’s difficult to get started on something when you are out of creative energy. This is the trap most designers fall into once they decide to outsmart others.

Every designer is seeking for a chance to work on an award-winning project. But not everyone knows that the road to it is not an easy one. It is paved by an endless stream of the hard work, countless mistakes, and victories you get in the very end of your creative journey.

So why is success in design so hard to reach? Let’s dive in and explore.

1. Switching a light bulb

The creation process is nearly instantaneous. It works the same way as lighting up a bulb. However, switching it on is never easy without a rich combination of experiences on the background.

To reap truly amazing ideas, you need to sow seeds for them daily, using a gradual synthesis of your thoughts, emotions, and dreams. This is what can help you keep creative juices flowing.

“Apart from creativity, what also matters in terms of great design is knowledge”

The foundation for it happens in the trenches.

First, you do the grunt work by working on some really embarrassing designs you’d never show anyone.

Then, you analyze your mistakes, back them up with some theory, and breathe a new life into your old projects.

“Without knowledge of what makes up effective design, it is impossible to achieve”

2. The essence of simplicity

Steve Jobs had a clear vision for what makes design elegant. Driven by his unique ideas, he crafted products that took the world by storm — with their elegant simplicity that had no impact on the scope of their features.

This approach to new design narrative taught brands how to turn their technology descriptions into stories — stories that can touch, attract and convert.

This way, the core principle of effective design relies on making things clear, not just making them work.

Instead of overcomplicating the design development process, you should take a scalpel and start simplifying it.

Following this logic, you won’t end up creating a muddy hodgepodge of product features. Instead, you’ll have working design customers may fall in love with.

3. A box to think within

Some designers strive to outsmart other creators, but, in most cases, this is just not necessary.

Simplicity is the only key to perfection. And even Antoine de Saint-Exupery felt pretty much the same about it:

“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away”

Remember this rule each time you take on another design project. Keep in mind problems your design is called upon to solve.

Remember about constraints — budget, customer expectations, overall aesthetics, etc. — this will be your own box to think within.

4. Less, but better

This famous quotation by Dieter Rams is here for a very specific reason. Effective design is not about stripping away elements from your project on willy-nilly.

“Instead, it is about subtracting the non-essentials, making your design practical, yet pure”

An utter white space should never be your ultimate goal. If a certain element is important but it makes your design look messy or clunky, your end-goal is to come up with a way to make it work.

5. Go mono

Don’t use too many colors — it creates an image of a needlessly heavy website. Try to use a few colors which harmonize with each other.

Go for a mostly neutral background color scheme. This will ensure all design elements coincide with each other and don’t undermine all the hard work done before.

6. Be timeless

Today, it is impossible to predict which elements of design will fade into obscurity tomorrow. Still, you should give it a try.

Trends are a sort of a permanent thing. They change in the blink of an eye, and there’s literally nothing you can do about it. If something feels like a mainstream thing, it probably is.

In a classic design, it is recommended to avoid trendy elements. They can make your design better today, but they might also become an indistinguishable element of your permanent library tomorrow.

The better you stick to the fundamental principles of style, the closer to classic your design will be. This way, you can make it truly timeless.

7. Fear being obsolete

Along the way to your creative success, you’ll be told many times to work really hard to get where you want to be.

The truth is, in design everything is a bit different.

“You cannot just work daily and expect to outcompete other great creative minds. Success lies in choosing your creative pattern and sticking to it”

Decide upon which style, technology, and standard to use.

Rely on other creative geniuses, tips & tricks they take advantage from.

Keep a close watch on the ever-changing trends in design to grab an idea of what to follow or not.

Wrapping up

Being a great designer has less to do with skillset and more to do with knowledge.

Prove your value beyond being great in UI or graphics. Master the basic principles of design, get the theory, and show how you use it in your daily design practice.

Wherever your creative freedom guides you, remember about the aesthetics of simplicity.

In the age of unlimited choices, staying laconic is what matters most.