The Teachings of Teaism
To understand simplicity you need to start looking at different and unusual places. One of the best books I've read that helped me understand the value of simplicity, is The Book of Tea by Kazuko Okakura.
The book of tea was first published over 100 years ago and gives a detailed overview of the art of tea making, the tea ceremony and everything that is related to it. Teaism is all about being in the moment and enjoying the present, understanding teaism can help you understand the value of simplicity.
One of the most important teachings comes from the chapter on the Tea-Room. Simplicity and purism are essential when designing a tea room. A tea room is essentially vacant with very little ornamentation. This allows for better focus on what you choose to put in the room for the specific occasion. There is no clutter and as a result the focus and attention is drawn to what you bring into the room.
The above can be applied to anything that has to do with visual communication and drawing people's attention. Avoid clutter at all cost, keep it vacant and add only what's important.
