Occam’s razor
Occam’s razor is a principle of reasoning which holds that, among explanations that account equally well for a phenomenon, the one requiring the fewest assumptions should be preferred
What it means, how it is used and where it comes up, with its related concepts.
What it is and how it works
It is attributed to the English Franciscan friar William of Ockham (c. 1287–1347) and is also known as the principle of parsimony. It does not claim that the simplest explanation is always true, only that elements should not be added unnecessarily. It is used as a guiding criterion in science, statistics, computing and philosophy.
In design and user experience it means removing what adds nothing: if two solutions perform the same function, the one with fewer elements, steps or decisions is usually preferable. It is related to principles such as KISS. Simplifying does not mean removing necessary information; an overly sparse interface can also make a task harder.
Also known as
Ockham’s razor, Principle of parsimony, Law of parsimony
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