John Maeda is a 45-year-old Japanese-American, the father of five daughters, a Graphic Designer, Computer Scientist, University Professor, an Author and recently (since June 2nd, 2008) the President of Rhode Island School of Design**. In his sixteen-minute-and-two-second video on TED.com (“John Maeda on the Simple Life”), he declares: “Simplicity is about living a life with more enjoyment and less pain.” This blog is a research project on John Maeda for the AVT-101 (New Majors Colloquium) class at George Mason University, and here we will look at his life, his career, his best known book “Laws of Simplicity,” and as a lateral move, we will look into two major figures he was influenced by, the definition of “Creative Economy”, get some background information on tofu (You read it right!), learn about the Apple II Plus and the Riflemaker Gallery in London, break into “Simplicity” as a concept and dig a little bit into the Japanese culture and try to find out the role it has or may have played in John Maeda’s journey. Please follow the links throughout this page to learn more about these key elements that have played roles in John Maeda’s life. For all references, follow the asterisks.

Working with his siblings after school at the tofu store ran by his Japanese parents, John Maeda did not have many friends. “[…] So I bought a friend,” says John Maeda, referring to his first computer, the Apple II Plus, which has been exhibited at the Riflemaker Gallery in London, as part of his work. He expresses that there were no good books on programming so he was self-taught, with his first program being an accounting one for the tofu store*.

After high school came his bold journey in the academia. He started off with Computer Science at MIT. He continued on with a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, again, at MIT. He received his PhD in Design Science from the University of Tsukuba Institute of Art and Design and, ever-hungry for knowledge, acquired his MBA from Arizona State University*.

Throughout his career, John Maeda has received numerous honors and awards including United States’ Smithsonian Institution’s National Design Award*.

Maeda’s philosophy and work falls into the area where design and technology intersect. He speaks about “Humanizing technology” and has made it his mission to promote the incorporation of  creative minds in technological and business fields**.

One of the major concepts Maeda has worked on is “Simplicity.” His best-selling book “Laws of Simplicity” covers ten key “laws” that could be integrated into many areas of life, including the creative process, and business.

The ten laws of Simplicity are as follows*:

10 – The One: Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful.

9 – Failure: Some things can never be made simple.

8 – Trust: In simplicity we trust.

7 – Emotion: More emotions are better than less.

6 – Context: What lies in the periphery is definitely not peripheral.

5 – Differences: Simplicity and complexity need each other.

4 – Learn: Knowledge makes everything simpler.

3 – Time: Savings in time feel like simplicity.

2 – Organize: Organization makes a system of many appear fewer.

1 – Reduce: The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction.

This creative mind, who is big on “Simplicity” and always wanting to go a step further in each of his works, was influenced by Paul Rand, whom he calls his “hero.”* Paul Rand, aside from a multitude of other projects, has designed world-renowned logos for big clients such as IBM, United Parcel Service (UPS), and American Broadcasting Corporation (Channel ABC). Maeda was also fascinated by Muriel Cooper, the director of MIT’s Visual Language Workshop when he was there.*

Maeda, now President of RISD, “seeks to champion the necessary role that artists and designers play in the 21st century creative economy.* define: Creative Economy.

Japanese roots, of course, seem to have played an important role in Maeda’s career and his inclination towards simplicity. The role of simplicity in Japanese culture and lifestyle is well-known. Here is a brief summary of aesthetic understanding in the Japanese culture*:

The very unique, simple language of Japanese aesthetics relies partly on Japan’s geography. As an isolated island, it was protected from foreign invasion and the rulers were able to control international affairs. The Japanese made no distinction between arts and crafts, meaning art was an inseparable part of life. In Japanese culture, “art is synonymous with living, functional purpose, and spiritual simplicity.” Maeda’s multi-disciplinary work and integrative outlook on life and design seem to be parallel with this point of view.