Kanso: the Zen concept of simplicity. Dr. Koichi Kawana describes it this way: Simplicity means the achievement of maximum effect with minimum means.
“I wouldn’t give a nickel for the simplicity on this side of complexity. But I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity.” ~Einstein
Simplicity is what attracts me to inspired design. It is beautiful and moving, yes, but its brilliance is in complexity being whittled down to the essential, the important. I can breathe in its presence. And really good design solves multiple issues with one elegant solution; the complexity is clear the more closely you look, but you aren’t ambushed by it. I find that fascinating and immensely useful.
Kanso, it seems to me, is likely the most important concept and skill needing cultivation in our modern world. Our ability to live lives of depth, authenticity, meaning and connection is highly dependent on our ability to sift through the immense amount of data thrown at us each and every day and “edit” our lives to make clear connections and track the important stuff. Notice that sentence doesn’t include all the stuff, but the
important
stuff.
Einstein also wisely said: “Make everything as simple as possible but no simpler.”
This isn’t about ignoring the important the stuff we don’t like, or make it “too simple” in order to make things easy or more comfortable. Good design can’t ignore what’s inconvenient. But it serves no one to simply struggle in the web of complexity - making us innefectual, sick or worse. The challenge: to stop seeing everything as important, because it’s not.
Simple.