Thoughts on Simplicity

A scientific theory should be as simple as possible, but no simpler. —Albert Einstein

Do the simplest thing that could possibly work. Keep it simple by refactoring. —Kent Beck

If you think something is clever and sophisticated, beware: it is probably self-indulgence. —Donald Norman

Simplicity does not precede complexity, but follows it. —Alan Perlis

To make something generic is to make the simple things complex. —Adam Keys

Simple things should be simple. Complex things should be possible. —Alan Kay

Don’t EVER make the mistake that you can design something better than what you get from ruthless massively parallel trial-and-error with a feedback cycle. That’s giving your intelligence much too much credit. —Linus Torvalds

Consistency is Simplicity: A consistent approach to style and solutions can make code easier to maintain. —Ken Pugh

If you think you’re designing something for idiots, the odds are that you’re not designing something good, even for idiots. —Paul Graham

It is better to be wrong than to be vague. —Fred Brooks

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. —Leonardo da Vinci

If you want to make something 10 times cheaper, remove 90 percent of the material—Amy Smith