The antidote for a complex world.
In a word, simplicity.
Simple has always trumped complex. Simple does things that complex can’t. Our lives are filled with complexity. So simplicity stands out and demands our attention.
As an illustration of this, I present the following video, which tongue-in-cheekily shows what may have happened with one of the world’s simplest packaging solutions ended up in the hands of one of the world’s most complex organizations.
Think: how can I make it simpler? Legendary architect and designer Mies van der Rohe became well known for paring his designs down to their barest elements. Instead of adding elements, he took them away, one by one, until his design failed to communicate. It was only then that he knew when he’d gone too far.
Simple is not always, eh,…simple. As a Junior Copywriter at Cole & Weber, I worked for a Creative Director who challenged me to make my copy simpler. His challenge to me was to edit my copy down to its bare essentials, and when I was sure I had no fluff in it, that it was as tight as I could possibly make it, to present it to him. At that point, he would charge me 25 cents for every word he could take out.
About $30 later, I think I learned a few things about writing simpler copy. Hopefully, your foray into simplicity won’t cost you as much.
Posted by Mickey
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