Less is more is a principle found in several traditions. Its basic meaning is to keep things simple, similar to the concept of

minimalism In visual arts, music, and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in the post-war era in western art. The movement is often interpreted as a reaction to abstract expressionism and modernism; it anticipated contemporary post-mi ...

. Its use in

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

emerges from the idea that simplicity and clarity lead to good design. The concept is often associated with the

modernism Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy), subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and soc ...

movement in architecture and

design A design is the concept or proposal for an object, process, or system. The word ''design'' refers to something that is or has been intentionally created by a thinking agent, and is sometimes used to refer to the inherent nature of something ...

, although it can be applied to many fields, including art, literature, music, and lifestyle.

Origins and philosophy

Origin of the term

"Less is more" can refer to architecture, art, design, writing, or philosophy. The concept dates back at least to the ancient Greeks:

Chilon of Sparta Chilon of Sparta () (fl. 6th century BC) was a Spartan politician credited with the militarization of Spartan society, and one of the Seven Sages of Greece. Life Chilon was the son of Damagetus, and lived towards the beginning of the 6th cent ...

made use of the famous

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

proverb: "Το λακωνίζειν εστί φιλοσοφείν", which may be roughly translated as "philosophers keep it brief" (lit. make it laconic).

Robert Browning Robert Browning (7 May 1812 – 12 December 1889) was an English poet and playwright whose dramatic monologues put him high among the Victorian literature, Victorian poets. He was noted for irony, characterization, dark humour, social commentar ...

's 1855 dramatic monologue, Andrea del Sarto (poem) (subtitled "Called the 'Faultless Painter'") uses the phrase "less is more" in the mouth of the Renaissance painter.

Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...

adopts the conviction that "less is more" in his 2015

encyclical letter An encyclical was originally a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area in the ancient Roman Church. At that time, the word could be used for a letter sent out by any bishop. The word comes from the Late Latin (originally fr ...

, ''

Laudato si' ''Laudato si'' (''Praise Be to You'') is the second encyclical of Pope Francis, subtitled "on care for our common home". In it, the Pope criticizes consumerism and irresponsible economic development, laments environmental degradation and gl ...

'', noting that it is "found in different religious traditions ncludingthe

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

". In architecture, the expression is often erroneously attributed to the German-American architect

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Ludwig Mies van der Rohe ( ; ; born Maria Ludwig Michael Mies; March 27, 1886August 17, 1969) was a German-American architect, academic, and interior designer. He was commonly referred to as Mies, his surname. He is regarded as one of the pionee ...

, a pioneer of modernism, who adapted this style in his architectural creations to emphasize beauty in simplicity and functionality. However, the concept of minimalism pre-dated the use of this phrase. The Bauhaus movement in Germany, with figures such as

Walter Gropius Walter Adolph Georg Gropius (; 18 May 1883 – 5 July 1969) was a German-born American architect and founder of the Bauhaus, Bauhaus School, who is widely regarded as one of the pioneering masters of modernist architecture. He was a founder of ...

and

Le Corbusier Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (6 October 188727 August 1965), known as Le Corbusier ( , ; ), was a Swiss-French architectural designer, painter, urban planner and writer, who was one of the pioneers of what is now regarded as modern architecture ...

, also embraced similar ideas.

Philosophy

This principle is based on the idea that removing superfluous elements enhances the clarity of the concept. It emphasizes functionality, clean aesthetics and simplicity.

Application in design and architecture

Design

In industrial and

graphic design Graphic design is a profession, academic discipline and applied art that involves creating visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives. Graphic design is an interdisciplinary branch of ...

, Less is more manifests itself in minimalist forms, the use of only few colors and the elimination of superfluous details.

Minimalism In visual arts, music, and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in the post-war era in western art. The movement is often interpreted as a reaction to abstract expressionism and modernism; it anticipated contemporary post-mi ...

in graphic design uses negative space, limited color palettes and simple typography to create visual impact. In

industrial design Industrial design is a process of design applied to physical Product (business), products that are to be manufactured by mass production. It is the creative act of determining and defining a product's form and features, which takes place in adva ...

, it translates into products that are both aesthetically pleasing and highly functional, often with fewer components and a more efficient use of materials.

Architecture

In architecture, this concept translates into streamlined structures, rational use of space and careful attention to layout and materials. Modern architecture saw an evolution of this concept, with architects such as

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key ...

, who, while taking a different approach, also advocated simplicity and integration with the environment.

Cultural influence and criticism

Influence on other fields

The principle has influenced various fields such as fashion, art, music and even the minimalist lifestyle.

Criticism

Although widely admired, the concept has also been criticizedWhen less is more: minimalism and the environment
/ref> for its sometimes overly rigid approach and lack of warmth or personality in certain designs. Some criticism may also emerge from other minimalist concepts or the overuse of the term 'Less is More.'

Evolution and modern interpretations

Modern interpretations

Today, the term is often interpreted more broadly to include ideas such as efficiency, clarity in communication and the importance of the essentials in everyday life choices.

Evolution and sustainability

More recently, the principle of Less is More has been integrated into the concepts of

sustainability Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...

and

eco-design Ecological design or ecodesign is an approach to designing products and services that gives special consideration to the environmental impacts of a product over its entire lifecycle. Sim Van der Ryn and Stuart Cowan define it as "any form of d ...

, promoting the use of recycled materials and environmentally-friendly production.

References

{{reflist

External links

Exploration du principe « Less is More » dans le design moderne
(in French)
How Steve Jobs’ Love of Simplicity Fueled A Design Revolution
Aphorisms