The KISS concept, “Keep it Simple and Stupid,” is a design principle emphasizing simplicity. Any unnecessary complication should be avoided at all costs. In other words, it stressed making a system simple to improve its performance, which would not have been possible if it had been sophisticated.
The focus has clearly emphasized that simplicity is the primary goal of design work. People should avoid intricate designs that make it more difficult for them to deal with. The most effective systems are essential.
Key Takeaways
- The KISS philosophy, which stands for “Keep It Simple, Stupid,” advocates for simplicity in design.
- It was developed by the United States Navy in 1960 and proposes that simple systems work best.
- It tries to reduce complexity and cost while improving system usability.
- Implementing KISS, as in mobile app design, entails building intuitive interfaces with only the most essential elements.
- Adherence to KISS improves user pleasure and commercial success by emphasizing usability.
Table of Contents
What is the KISS principle?
The KISS concept, which stands for “Keep It Basic, Stupid,” is a design principle developed by the United States Navy in 1960 that indicates that most systems perform best when they are essential and straightforward.
The purpose of KISS is to lower a system’s complexity and cost while making it more user-friendly. US Navy engineers initially utilized it, gaining popularity among software developers, designers, and engineers.
Let us look at a software design to grasp the KISS principle better. Consider a smartphone app that connects customers with local service providers like plumbers, electricians, and cleaners.
The first usability concept is to create a user interface design that is basic and intuitive. This may include designing a homepage with distinct categories for each sort of service, a search box for easy navigation, and large, immediately identifiable buttons for the most typical tasks.
An overly convoluted design, such as providing extraneous features or requiring consumers to browse many sites to schedule a service, will only confuse and frustrate them.
Following the KISS principle, the app’s authors ensure it is simple to use, enhancing user satisfaction and the likelihood of attaining a significant market share. Remember that simplicity promotes usability, essential for a product’s commercial success.
Explanation of Keep It Simple, Stupid
The KISS principle is founded on the belief that more straightforward solutions are preferable to more complex ones. It encourages teams and individuals to concentrate on the work rather than complicating it with features not directly related to the core aim.
Developers can produce a more usable and understandable product by removing extraneous details and focusing on what is truly important. This decreases the possibility of introducing bugs or glitches while simplifying training and development operations. The KISS approach is equally valuable for other fields, including communication, management, and marketing.
Consumers do not care how sophisticated the product’s design is; what matters is that it is simple to maintain and easy to use. To simplify the design, KISS does not imply stupidity. On the contrary, the design is connected with intelligent systems, frequently misconstrued as stupid due to their simplistic design. The KISS principle ensures that system failures and other IT difficulties are avoided.
The Kiss principle, which stands for Keep It Simple, Stupid, is crucial to successful UX design. The simplest option is frequently the most effective regarding how an end-user experiences and interacts with your product or service. While conducting UX research, you must grasp what that entails and how to utilize it while developing design aspects for your project.
For example, suppose your primary goal is to make a mechanic’s training program easier for technicians. In that case, you must evaluate the fundamental mechanic’s training principles and how to incorporate them into the design.
This is where the benefits of KISS shine—by applying the kiss concept, you can ensure that each aspect of your design serves a function and considers the user’s demands.
Origin of the Keep It Simple, Stupid Principle
In the US Navy in 1960, Kelly Johnson formulated the KISS principle as a lead engineer for the Lockheed Skunk Works, Lockheed Martin’s advanced aircraft program for different combat conditions.
Johnson founded the KISS during a long software engineering career designing systems using simple tools and skills. Designing a jet aircraft only with simple tools can be very challenging. The term ‘Stupid’ in KISS refers to the relationship between the things that fall apart and the sophistication available to repair the parts.
When should you use Keep It Simple, Stupid?
The KISS is one of the integral components of good design in software and technology. Technology is something that is only sometimes well-understood by the general public. So, users might have many similar options for any given product type.
For example, there are many ways to save money on internet safety tools and products. There are huge lists of separate ways to prove that the market offers many options that most users can’t comprehend without needing expert help. And in this market, if one can only deliver the products, it becomes easy for one to succeed.
Even companies like Amazon have listed KISS as one of their core principles. The company states, “Leaders expect and require innovation and invention from their teams and always find ways to simplify.”
One of the benefits of KISS is a deep understanding of why something is occurring. If one doesn’t incorporate the principles of simplicity in the design, one will likely suffer from product conflation. Deploying a product with a strong focus saves the developer precious time and resources.
Applying the Keep It Simple, Stupid in your designs is easier than it may seem. You must have the vision to create a simple product for your users. You must emphasize the user experience. Even if complexity is necessary, the sole aim should be simple designs to enhance user experience.
How to Use KISS (Keep it Simple, Stupid) As a Design Principle
Follow the below-mentioned tips to apply the KISS in your designs –
1. Have a vision
The prime requirement is to have a vision of creating an easy-to-use product. You are making that product for your users, and your goal should be to embrace simplicity and give them a friendly user experience.
2. Prefer graphics and visuals
If you present information, try introducing graphics and visuals as much as possible. Our brains can easily comprehend information in visual form. Even if the idea behind the information is complex, you can make it simple to understand through graphics.
Ensure that they are clutter-free. When creating diagrams, try to spread out things as much as possible.
3. Neutral and basic are not bad
People often have this myth that going classical is not good. More neutral and classical things are always less fussy than modern and complex ones. You don’t need to make it boring; you can go for certain evolutions.
4. Prefer user-friendly software
When leading the design team, make sure you prefer user-friendly software promoting similar content. You and your design team will easily manage things with such software.
5. Always plan your work
It would be best to have a roadmap to create more straightforward products. Unplanned things often lead to unnecessary complexity. Plan for every phase of your product’s design and avoid complexity to the maximum.
6. Revisit
You created your product, but it is always wise to have a relook. If something goes wrong, you can fix it there. You can subtract certain functions that are causing the complexity of your product.
Tips to Apply the ‘Keep It Simple, Stupid’ Principle
Some of the ways to keep it a simple, stupid principle in different business areas are –
1. Projects
Applying the KISS to projects involves setting achievable goals in a reasonable amount of time. It’s important to identify the most essential aspects of a project and carefully prioritize which tasks should be taken on first so you don’t waste time on unnecessary activities.
2. Processes
When setting up processes, it’s best to make them as efficient as possible by utilizing the Keep It Simple, Stupid principle. This means streamlining processes and eliminating unnecessary steps that don’t add value to the result.
3. Products
When creating products, it’s essential to keep things simple and intuitive. Focus on the key features that will make a product successful and eliminate any complex or extraneous components that aren’t necessary for the product’s success.
4. Marketing
With marketing, the KISS can be applied by focusing on a few key points with the most significant impact rather than covering too much in one campaign or message.
5. Reports
It’s essential to keep your language clear and concise when writing reports. Stick to the facts and avoid going off on tangents. Keep your audience in mind and tailor the content to their needs. This will ensure that readers aren’t overwhelmed by a lengthy report filled with unnecessary information.
A Caution Note while applying KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid.
There is no doubt that simplicity is an admiral goal that can enhance a user’s experience. However, note that it is essential not to let this simplicity adversely affect the design’s objective. For example, DSLR cameras are more complex than those found in the latest models of smartphones.
Now, the complexity of the DSLR camera can be resisted when it exists for the person who uses it for one’s own sake. In such cases, the complexity can enhance the user’s experience.
Although DSLR is more complicated than a standard smartphone camera, it provides more options to photographers. When buying a DSLR, a consumer accepts it will have additional functionality. Keep It Simple: The stupid principle has been applied here and aligns with the user’s expectations.
Usage Examples of Keep It Simple, Stupid
1. In film animation: Renowned animator Richard Williams shares the concept of the KISS principle in his book “The Animator’s Survival Kit,” while Disney’s Nine Old Men delve into it in their definitive work “Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life.” These invaluable resources offer profound insights into the art of animation.
One challenge inexperienced animators encounter is the tendency to “over-animate” their work, where characters exhibit excessive movement and actions. Williams advises animators to follow the principle of “KISS” – Keep It Simple and Straightforward.
2. In Software Development: The KISS manifests in various philosophies and practices. Consider the “Don’t Repeat Yourself” (DRY) principle, a tenet of minimalist design that encourages the elimination of redundancy in code.
Similarly, the Unix philosophy, Arch Linux, Slackware Linux, Chartjunk, Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC), Rule of Least Power, There’s More Than One Way to Do It, Worse is Better” or “Less is More,” as well as the “Yo,” Aren’t Gonna Need It” (YAGNI) principle, etc. are some examples of KISS in software development.
3. In politics: In the political sphere, simplicity manifests itself in minor political parties such as the “Keep It Simple Solutions” (KISS) in New Brunswick, Canada. This party embodies the KISS in its approach to governance.
Halfway across the globe in South Africa, the “Keep It Straight and Simple” Party encapsulates the ethos of simplicity in politics. This party advocates for a streamlined governance style devoid of unnecessary complexities.
4. In popular culture: In popular culture, the KISS principle finds representation in cinema. A typical example can be found in the Filipino neo-noir film “Segurista.” In this film, Mrs..”ibrada, portrayed by Liza Lorena, applies the Keep It Simple, Stupid principle to sell insurance.
Real World Examples
1. Google’s Homepage: Google’s search engine homepage is a prime example of the KISS principle in action. Despite the vast complexity of its search algorithms and the depth of information available, the user is presented with a clean, simple interface: a logo, a search box, and two buttons (“Google Search” and “I’m Feeling Lucky”). This simplicity makes navigating highly user-friendly and efficient, even for first-time users.
2. Apple’s Product Design: Apple Inc. is often cited for applying the KISS principle in its hardware and software design. Apple products like the iPhone, iPad, and MacBook feature minimalist designs with intuitive user interfaces. The focus is on sleek, simple aesthetics and user-friendly functionality, avoiding unnecessary buttons or overly complicated settings.
3. IKEA Furniture Assembly: IKEA, the Swedish furniture company, applies the KISS principle to the design and assembly of its furniture. IKEA products often come flat-packed with simplified assembly instructions that rely on illustrations more than text. This approach makes the assembly process as straightforward as possible for people of all skill levels.
4. Dropbox’s User Interface: Dropbox exemplifies the KISS principle in cloud storage. It simplifies file sharing and storage, making it accessible for non-technical users. Dropbox has made cloud storage straightforward and efficient by creating a user-friendly interface that integrates seamlessly with desktops and mobile devices.
5. Craigslist: Craigslist applies the KISS principle to online classifieds. Despite its fundamental appearance, the website is incredibly effective at what it does, providing an easy-to-use platform for buying, selling, and finding services and jobs. Its simplicity ensures users can quickly find what they seek without distraction.
Conclusion!
Simplicity should be the fundamental principle of every design. The easier-to-use products are likely to be in demand in the market. However, it is also crucial that the functionality does not compromise the simplicity of the final design.
Also, think about the user experience when designing a product. It will give a clear perception of what the user needs and what the company expects from its product.
What are your thoughts about the effectiveness of the KISS in making better product designs?
FAQs
1) What are the alternative concepts of the KISS Principle in history?
The KISS principle origins have many similar minimalist concepts, such as
- Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), who was an Italian engineer and artist, has been quoted as saying, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
- Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969), a German-American architect who was also one of the greatest pioneers of modernist architecture, once said- “Less is more.”
- Albert Einstein said- “Make everything as simple as possible but not simpler.”
- Bjarne Stroustrup, a Danish computer scientist who created and developed the C++ programming language, said, “Make simple tasks simple.”
2) What is the relation between the KISS Principle and the Consumer?
When a consumer buys a product or avails of a service, no one cares how many years were spent designing or making those products or services. The consumer’s primary concern is how easy it will be to use or whether the products are affordable.
Products that are simple to use and have easily readable instructions sell more in the market. One should follow the KISS when creating or upgrading a product to an existing one, as it helps brands gain maximum market share.
3) What are the variations of KISS (Keep it Simple, Stupid)
Different variations of the phrase are –
- Keep it simple, silly
- Keep it short and simple
- Keep it simple and straightforward
- Keep it small and simple
- Keep it simple, soldier
- Keep it simple, sailor
- Keep it sweet and simple
The acronym KISS is often used by many in the US military and software development.
Liked this post? Check out the complete series on Marketing
