“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” — Leonardo da Vinci
At Apple, simplicity was never an accident—it was intentional. Steve Jobs, Apple’s legendary founder, believed simplicity in product design was essential. He always put himself in the shoes of everyday customers—people who valued ease, not technical details.
Jobs never wanted Apple products to overwhelm people. Life was already complicated—his mantra was to keep them simple, clear, and easy to use.
Stripping away non-essential features became a hallmark of Apple under Jobs. Products had to be intuitive from day one and stay effortless over time—allowing the technology to fade into the background.
Jobs knew no one would be standing over a customer’s shoulder during their first Apple experience. Without a guide or manual, the product had to just work—right out of the box.
Sure, Apple Store staff could help—but Jobs often asked: wouldn’t it be better if the product were self-explanatory from the start?
Jobs enforced this standard through relentless demos and reviews, giving designers blunt feedback: cut, simplify, make it easier.
Guiding the team, Jobs often reminded them of his core belief: ‘Design is how it works.’ Ken Kocienda, author of Creative Selection: Inside Apple’s Design Process During the Golden Age of Steve Jobs, called it his favorite Jobs quote.
In the early 2000s, Jobs told The New York Times—in an interview about the revolutionary iPod—what most people misunderstood about design.
He explained that the mistake people make about design is reducing it to looks—assuming designers are simply asked to make a product attractive.
But at Apple, design wasn’t about appearances. As Jobs put it: ‘Design is how it works.’
The takeaway is simple: follow Steve Jobs’ lesson in simplicity in product design—remove complexity, simplify relentlessly, and focus on making life easier for your customers.
