EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a guest post from Leo Babauta, author of Top 25 blog Zen Habits and best-selling book, The Power of Less.

When Apple designed the beautifully simple iPod, with its minimalist interface, they must have faced a conundrum: How do you keep things simple when there are always other important features you want to add, new buttons that add so much more functionality?

In the software world, this is known as “feature creep” — new features are added and added until things are no longer simple, but complex.

In the world of simplicity, things are never as simple as they seem. Things tend to grow more complex over time — simplicity takes hard work to maintain.

How does Apple keep its minimalist interface if it wants to keep adding new features? How does the designer of a simple WordPress theme keep things simple if he wants to add new features for his users?

How do you declutter a room and keep it from getting cluttered again? How do you simplify your work routine — and keep it simple? Read more »