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REVIEW REVIEW
Review
This month our resident book guru HUGO talks to John
The Laws of Simplicity HUGO: John, since you began this project JM: You just keep on trying. There are
By John Maeda on Simplicity and wrote the book, you’ve challenges that are put in front of us. Those
Maeda about love, respect and making sense of it all…
MIT Press, £12.95 moved from design work at MIT to president challenges often equal problems. Sooner or
of a college [RISD]. How have the project later the Luddite in all of us kicks in, but then
“The perfect book at the perfect time.” HUGO and the ideas changed for you? Where’s it at you think ‘let me just try this’ and you keep
“Did I write that?” John Maeda now? Where do you see it going in the future? doing that, hoping for a change that works.
Bookshelf
I guess the project and ‘you’ are kinda It’s the same in work and in life. You keep
When I first came upon this book, and even wrapped together so… trying to find change that works. It is human
before I had time to read through it properly, nature to give up, but equally it is human
I wrote a quick review for the bookshop just JM: I feel lucky. The project and the ideas nature to keep on trying or at least looking.
to get the ball rolling: “This charming and in the book have become a kind of mental
erudite little volume offers valuable insights anchor, like Wisconsin is for you, on how HUGO: I wanted to ask you about respect.
on how to balance technology, work and to try and simplify a fairly complex life and From what I’ve read about you and know
Essentials
life. He’s very smart, you should listen.” world. It’s constantly tested now, which is from your work I’ve seen, there seems to be
good. In my new role it’s invaluable. The idea a lot of implied respect. For yourself. For others.
I felt totally confident in doing this even behind the project was to develop a creative For your work and the work of others. And in
without the thorough note-taking pre-read. approach to life… you have design, business your general dealings with other people
Why? Trust and respect. After admiring Mr and technology, all of which together equal and life.
Maeda’s work for some time I had come to ‘faster’. Then you have ‘life’… the life you lead
trust that good work was at hand. But I got with people and all the other things you do. I JM: I grew up in a home with traditional
more than good work. I thought: “Aha, wanted to put all these things together and values. Respect… that was as simple as it got.
finally. A simple guidebook from someone look to ways to balance them. I wanted to I’ve been taught to begin with respect. You
up in the clouds on how to navigate through find a creative approach to simplicity today. don’t need to worry about ‘trust’ if you can
all this shit…” respect. That’s how it starts… you earn and
An ongoing consideration is time. Time has grant it. It also guides you on how to look at
For me, it was and still is the perfect book been optimised so well, so much can and approach things. With respect, you
at the perfect time: How do we create get done. Time can be so much better used, can approach the person or work with the
good design and good lives, keep up with so why waste it? Does a meeting need an right attitude.
technology and ask technology to respond hour, why not a half an hour? Why not fifteen
to us, and find credible ways of balancing minutes? Can we use email? This is positive… HUGO: Well, John, I promised you a short
the studio and the soul with Mammon and to not waste time and get so much done. But interview… So, thanks for the chat and
the world? The only response is to simplify the there are other things too. We have made good luck.
ever-greater complexity as much as possible each second so powerful. Is this good or not?
so we don’t become total uptight loonies. You have the human body which has limits, JM: Thank you. It’s been good to talk. And
Mr Maeda’s thoughts on this are noteworthy and a life to live that is not always counted in good luck to you too.
as he’s one of the lovable culprits who in the seconds. So there is a need for balance.
past helped create all this complex stuff. There’s a nice little article on John Maeda
HUGO: I read in a recent article in Monocle and his move to RISD in the July/August 2008
I was curious as to where Mr Maeda might that you believe the future of technology is issue of Monocle magazine.
be at now with this project on Simplicity, about connecting people. I think that’s true.
especially as he’s moved from being a major Why do you think that?
design dude at MIT to the Rhode Island
School of Design (RISD) as Presidente. With JM: What are we looking for? Technology Richard Bucht
the help of the MIT Press here in London I was can put two people who should meet Waterstones Art & Design
able to have a quick phone interview with together. From anywhere. And then you 13 Garrick Street
John a few weeks ago. can start to access all the creative talent Covent Garden
that we have in this world. This is a new +44 (0)20 7836 6757
Before the interview began we had a good and wonderful possibility that people in the
buchtrichard@gmail.com
little talk. He’s a good-humoured, really open past did not have. But again, it gets back
and friendly person. He was surprised to hear to what we are looking for, time and intention. HUGO
I was from Wisconsin. He asked me some We can now have 1,000 friends. But now
www.designersarewankers.com
questions about the small town I come from that we can connect with virtually anyone,
and what life was like in the big woods. Only what are we really looking for? It can be
too pleased to oblige anyone who takes too much. Your interests, limits on your time
an interest in my beloved Wisconsin, I went and your intention provide guides.
into a fairly long and detailed description of
a recent holiday there, speaking at length HUGO: John, any thoughts or advice to the
about the calming joys of my rural idyll. After design community and people in general
a good while, I suddenly remembered I was about how to interact with technology and
supposed to be interviewing… the challenges of change?
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