makezine.com: The Simplicity Cycle

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The Simplicity Cycle

http://www.lulu.com/content/877467
I’d like to recommend for you’re consideration a new book, from the author Dan Ward, on simplicity and complexity titled: The Simplicity Cycle (published under The Rogue Press at LuLu.com.)

This book fleshes out a concept that so many engineers, scientists, and designers seem to understand, but never know how to communicate: elegance in design! The premise of the book is that “goodness” (functionality or utility in engineering, beauty in art, understanding in science) is a result of genesis and synthesis, NOT adding layers and layers of complicated-ness. I personally think the book describes very organically how real, useful design and creation comes about. Even more so, I think the book calls into plain sight the white elephant sitting in the middle of the room ….. bigheaded, complicated thought is really wrong-mindedness, and not very useful.

For me, do-it-yourself design, at its core, is elegant. I’ve found that “ballparking” or “eyeballing” some aspect of a project gets me just as close to a workable solution as hours and hours spent finely tuning and laser measuring. Therefore, the idea of simplicity resonated very much with me.

The layers of understanding that flow from the concept in this book are funky-fresh, just like imaginary ogres: pungent as an onion (without all that bitterness). Your readers should really check this book out. Most will find it right in line with their do-it-yourself attitude. It will only enhance what they already do!