The Kiss Principle

6/1/2009 12:00 AM EDT

The term KISS is an acronym for "Keep It Simple, Stupid" and the punch line of a joke. But the principle is deadly serious. Albert Einstein is widely quoted as saying:

"Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler."

or:

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."

or:

"Simplify as much as possible, but no more."

As you can see, his exact wording is uncertain--perhaps he said several versions of the same sentiment--but the meaning is crystal clear. Einstein firmly believed that the universe was both simple and understandable. Despite the awesome impact of his theories, the underlying assumptions behind them tended to be extremely simple: the speed of light is invariant, the energy of a photon has the value Planck gave it. Everything else Einstein did devolved from such inherently simple assumptions.

When asked the secret to his success, legendary race car builder Harry Miller said:

"Simplify and add lightness."

(For the record, I've seen other people, notably the Wright brothers, credited with this quote. As nearly as I've been able to determine, the source really is Miller.)

Another memorable quote is also attributed to Miller. When asked how he was able to develop such exquisite designs without any engineering training, Miller said:

"When it looks right, it is right."

Some of us would do well to remember this one, also.

You would think that keeping things simple would be as natural for us as breathing. After all, simple concepts are easier to understand than complex ones. Simple solutions are easier to build than complex ones. We shouldn't have to be exhorted to keep things simple. Yet, I can't tell you how many times I've come across systems, analyses, or approaches loaded with what I call "gratuitous complexity."