“Truth that is naked is the most beautiful, and the simpler its expression the deeper is the impression it makes.”
I visit Maria Popova’s Brain Pickings website daily, and I discovered this quote in one of her posts. While a reflection on writing, by 19th-century German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer in “On Style,” found in The Essays of Schopenhauer, this excerpt shows a strong parallel to all of the arts and is great insight to keep in mind when we first approach a design and progress throughout the design development phase. We formulate concepts by reducing the overall picture to the strongest, most powerful elements, when studied in relation to each other and to the whole. When these extracted elements are arranged in a harmonious, balanced composition, the resulting story is both powerful, effective and establishes a strong foundation for executing our designs. The challenge is in identifying the most basic, raw, driving factors in the design and translating them into a tangible experience. If you can visually capture the essence of a brand’s identity or client’s vision, the resulting design language is deceptively simple because all of the elements naturally play off and enhance the characteristics of each other, creating a unified whole. Truth, simplicity and beauty are always powerful driving factors in art and design. I love the following excerpt as well: “We also find that every true thinker endeavors to express his thoughts as purely, clearly, definitely, and concisely as ever possible. This is why simplicity has always been looked upon as a token, not only of truth, but also of genius.”