When my kids were tiny peanuts, strangers would stop me and say "Remember this moment. They grow up so fast, you can't believe it. Savor every minute!" And boy, I try. But with the summer brings long hot days, worn our kids, and infighting that matches the blazing asphalt outside. We often can't even make it home in the car from camp without shouting matches that result in me putting them in their rooms, separately, for much-needed time-outs.

And when I open their doors, 5 or 10 minutes later (or when I remember), they are almost always reading. Or pretending. Or playing on their own. And they don't come flying out of their rooms. They stay, and they play in the quiet. 

In design, the need for space is essential to letting the main message breathe. Halfway between art and science, our brains can only process so much at once, and the need for a clear visual and legible type has been and continues to be king. One of my professors used to say "Purgate the Superfluities", which is a clever and funny reminder that less is more. 

“Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take at least one thing off" -Coco Chanel

Coco Chanel's famous quote applies to fashion, and design in general. Less can be more. Restraint can show boldness. And alone time can allow users to fill in the gaps. 

When I stop trying to shove activities and ideas of what to do down my kid's throats, they fill in the gaps, too. More is not always more. In design, parenting, and life.