KISS Principle - Definition and Overview

The KISS principle is a popular maxim often invoked when discussing design to fend off creeping featurism and control complexity of development. The traditional expansion of this acronym is "Keep it Simple, Stupid". Maybe because of the implied irreverence (or blatant insult, depending on perception) the acronym is rarely explained. Where concerns over the word "stupid" exist, a euphemistic explanation of "Keep It Simple and Straight-forward" is sometimes resorted to. Others expansions of the acronym include "Keep it Simple and Stupid" (often used when discussing artificial intelligence), "Keep It Small and Simple" or "Keep It Short and Simple" (a common marketing maxim for sales presentations).

Etymology

The etymology of the expression is uncertain.

It was current during the time of the Apollo project in the 1960s.

Some suggest that UNIX was invented by following the KISS principle.

It is sometimes assumed that the acronym was originally used as a piece of advice from lawyers counseling their clients.

The term may also have been invented in the US Army as army slang.

Another assumption is that it may have originated at the Lockheed Skunk Works facility.

The KISS principle today is often used by software developers - meaning the software should be designed in the simplest way, and unneeded features should not be added. It is also in widespread use in the business community.

See also

• Occam's Razor
• Simplicity

References