The Laws of Simplicity

Redesigning John Maeda’s Book

Focus

Print Design, Publication Design 

Means
   InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop

Make
   8” x 10” Perfect Bound Book

Timelin

8 weeks

Summary
    The Laws of Simplicity is a typography-focused book designed utilizing text from renowned designer John Maeda’s 2006 book, The Laws of Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life.

The design process emphasized the utilization of Adobe InDesign, the use of grids, and the creation of a strong visual hierarchy. To establish the typographic hierarchy, I set distinct sizes and styles for headers, body copy, pull quotes, and page numbers and folios. The reader should be instantly able to recognize the type of textual content and its purpose based off of its stylization.

Principles of Gestalt, such as proximity, similarity, and continuity, were also taken into account while assembling this book. The clustering of content ensures that the reader makes ties between related speech and provides a deeper understanding of the text’s purpose.

Lastly, the linear nature of the book itself provided a unique opportunity for stylization. Black bars decreasing in their width provide a sense of progression throughout the different categories of the book. The final output is a book that aligns with Maeda’s philosophy of simplicity and maintains an understandable yet unique reading experience.