Universal Principles of Design, Updated and Expanded Third Edition

148 Progressive Subtraction

Reducing the number of perceptible elements in a design over time.

Progressive subtraction is the systematic and deliberate simplification of a design over the course of its product life cycle. The principle runs counter to the natural evolution of products and systems generally, which tend toward progressive addition — i.e., adding more features and elements with each iteration. Note that progressive subtraction refers primarily to the perceptible complexity experienced by users and less to the complexity concealed within a product’s case or codebase. For example, a new sensor could be added to the interior of a smartphone without increasing the perceptible complexity of the phone or its interface.1

All systems ...