Less is More, More or Less:  The Mies van der Rohe declaration and/or protestation “less is more” has become a contemporary needle-point sampler. It has been used to excuse aesthetic indulgences and artistic philandering. The phrase has been said so many times it has become akin to “have a good day,” stated, but not heard, without meaning or relevance.

The heart of Mr. Van der Rohe’s missal is saying what you mean and no more because more would be superfluous. To accomplish this act of reduction requires a complete understanding of the ideas being presented. The godfather of architecture is done a disservice when his words are used to support the presentation of inadequate or half-baked ideas, dished up on a tray of his words.

In a recent episode of “E.R.” on NBC, comedian Bob Newhart portrayed a 72-year-old retired architectural model builder who once worked with Mies. Mr. Newhart’s character, who is very ill, says that, like Mies, he has lived his life by the unadorned and uncomplicated Laws of Architecture and by doing so has no regrets.

These are the Laws of Architecture that Mies followed. Order: There must be an internal logic, an order in any design. Space: The real work of art is space. A building merely exists to shape it. Proportion: Always be aware how a structure fits into the world around it.

These laws reduce complex and sometimes conflicting ideas to concepts simple enough to answer all of life’s questions if seen as a metaphor for living. As such, these laws can influence and shape our decisions, therefore our lives.

When done well, less is more. However, sometimes less is not more, it’s just less. The talent is in recognizing the difference.

Appreciating what is enough and not too much is at the heart of successful communication. Saying what must be said to connect with and move an audience to a response has always been our objective. Essex Two has helped its clients bring their customers closer to their products using a process shaped by imagination and guided by analytical thinking.

Visit the Essex Two website (www.sx2.com/product.html) for case studies that demonstrate how we help clients say what needs to be heard.

Worth your time:  How to See by George Nelson. “Seeing things is an intellectual-aesthetic exercise which increases one’s inalienable capital: riches that can be accumulated without cost and, once acquired, cannot be lost or stolen.”

Originally written for the Department of Health, Education and Welfare in 1973, this book provides an insight to sight. Nelson instructs readers how to examine and explore images, objects and ideas in ways that transfer understanding and aptitude to the willing observer. The book additionally provides background into the creative process from one of this country’s contemporary renaissance men. How to See has been republished by Rod Forbes of Design Within Reach and is available only through their catalog or at www.dwr.com.