The Less It Is, The Stronger

Aug 15, 2024

"The less it is, the stronger." - Virgil Abloh

The ultimate form of sophistication is simplicity. It's easy to make things more complicated: add more features, colors, information, or projects. It's hard to subtract, strip away the non-essential, focus on the essential, and create space for less.

This is true in design. A great designer removes elements until the purest, simplest form of their art is reached. They remove distractions to let the main thing be the main thing and speak for itself.

This is true in products. It's not about adding "just one more feature" until users love your product. Instead, it's about getting the essence right. Focus on one job users hire your product for and let them fall in love with it.

This is true in music. Rick Rubin spends time with artists removing all the distracting elements in a track and getting down to the essence. He constrains them to work with just a couple of tracks instead of many dozens.

This disciplined pursuit of less is hard. But this is what it takes to create stronger work. Strip everything away down to the essence of the thing you are creating. And let it speak for itself.