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# Simplicity Vs. Clarity
- URL: https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/simplicity-vs-clarity/
- Published: 2009-12-10T05:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2024-05-20T17:48:29.000Z
- Author: CJ Chilvers
- Tags: writing, web design

Occasionally, I try to explain the benefits of clarity over simplicity to designers and writers. I mostly get blank stares. So, to better illustrate, imagine you need to know what time it is.

This is simplicity:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/30/933059b9-0a90-40a6-8ecc-04cdf152178d/content/images/tumblr_lpl9tvo9941qbhn92.jpg)

And this is clarity:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/30/933059b9-0a90-40a6-8ecc-04cdf152178d/content/images/tumblr_lpl9u9UpQH1qbhn92.jpg)

And this is what most web designers and writers would offer as a solution:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/30/933059b9-0a90-40a6-8ecc-04cdf152178d/content/images/tumblr_lpl9v1DS4E1qbhn92.jpg)