Simplicate. Add lightness.

Thanks, Justin.
My friend and colleague, Justin English, frequently makes my day.
He's the cat in Menlo Park with the comfortably decorated office. Leather chair and footstool, red panels, red rolling shrimp-foot lamps and matching red computer background. We both used to work at Apple, and now prefer to work at Sun. Justin's the one who turned me on to the work of William B. Stout, designer of the 1935 Stout Scarab.

Only nine of these amazing automobiles were ever built. Stout's credo was Simplicate. Add lightness. Not so odd for somone famous for designing aircraft. The statement itself is a creative act, just like Justin's office, and his UI guidelines. It's seven simple things. That's all you need to know. They aren't just simplicate. Add lightness. But they are words to live by. Here Follow English's seven principles. Read'em and weep.

1) You only own the top left (or right, as culturally appropriate) corner
2) Attention is inversely proportional to time
3) No one wants to read anything
4) Use layout flow and Gestalt principles to guide the user
5) UI is a AAA process--Provide Assistance for the beginner, Access for the intermediate user, and Accelerators for the advanced user
6) A good UI is a good-looking UI. Remember that "All As are Bs" does not imply that "All Bs are As"
7) Follow Stout's Rule -- "Simplicate and add lightness"