096 Ockham’s Razor

Simple designs should be preferred.

• Named after William of Ockham, a fourteenth-century Franciscan friar and logician who reputedly made abundant use of the principle.

• Given two functionally equivalent designs, the simpler design should be preferred.

• Applying Ockham’s razor means cutting unnecessary elements from a design.

• Proficient designers favor simplicity over ornamentation, supporting use of Ockham’s razor.

• Apply Ockham’s razor to elements in your design. If the design is no worse for their loss, apply it again.

See Also Form Follows Function • Horror Vacui • KISS Mapping • Signal-to-Noise Ratio

The evolution of the iMac proves that no company wields Ockham’s razor with the skill and aggression of Apple.