1Strip a design to its essence. Remove anything that doesn't earn its place: redundant elements, repeated information, decorative noise, cosmetic complexity.
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4---
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6## Assess Current State
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8Analyze what makes the design feel complex or cluttered:
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101. **Identify complexity sources**:
11   - **Too many elements**: Competing buttons, redundant information, visual clutter
12   - **Excessive variation**: Too many colors, fonts, sizes, styles without purpose
13   - **Information overload**: Everything visible at once, no progressive disclosure
14   - **Visual noise**: Unnecessary borders, shadows, backgrounds, decorations
15   - **Confusing hierarchy**: Unclear what matters most
16   - **Feature creep**: Too many options, actions, or paths forward
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182. **Find the essence**:
19   - What's the primary user goal? (There should be ONE)
20   - What's actually necessary vs nice-to-have?
21   - What can be removed, hidden, or combined?
22   - What's the 20% that delivers 80% of value?
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24If any of these are unclear from the codebase, STOP and use Codex's structured user-input/question tool when available; if unavailable, ask directly in chat to clarify what you cannot infer.
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26**CRITICAL**: Simplicity is not about removing features. It's about removing obstacles between users and their goals. Every element should justify its existence.
27 
28## Plan Simplification
29 
30Create a ruthless editing strategy:
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32- **Core purpose**: What's the ONE thing this should accomplish?
33- **Essential elements**: What's truly necessary to achieve that purpose?
34- **Progressive disclosure**: What can be hidden until needed?
35- **Consolidation opportunities**: What can be combined or integrated?
36 
37**IMPORTANT**: Simplification is hard. It requires saying no to good ideas to make room for great execution. Be ruthless.
38 
39## Simplify the Design
40 
41Systematically remove complexity across these dimensions:
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43### Information Architecture
44- **Reduce scope**: Remove secondary actions, optional features, redundant information
45- **Progressive disclosure**: Hide complexity behind clear entry points (accordions, modals, step-through flows)
46- **Combine related actions**: Merge similar buttons, consolidate forms, group related content
47- **Clear hierarchy**: ONE primary action, few secondary actions, everything else tertiary or hidden
48- **Remove redundancy**: If it's said elsewhere, don't repeat it here
49 
50### Visual Simplification
51- **Reduce color palette**: Use 1-2 colors plus neutrals, not 5-7 colors
52- **Limit typography**: One font family, 3-4 sizes maximum, 2-3 weights
53- **Remove decorations**: Eliminate borders, shadows, backgrounds that don't serve hierarchy or function
54- **Flatten structure**: Reduce nesting, remove unnecessary containers; never nest cards inside cards
55- **Remove unnecessary cards**: Cards aren't needed for basic layout; use spacing and alignment instead
56- **Consistent spacing**: Use one spacing scale, remove arbitrary gaps
57 
58### Layout Simplification
59- **Linear flow**: Replace complex grids with simple vertical flow where possible
60- **Remove sidebars**: Move secondary content inline or hide it
61- **Full-width**: Use available space generously instead of complex multi-column layouts
62- **Consistent alignment**: Pick left or center, stick with it
63- **Generous white space**: Let content breathe, don't pack everything tight
64 
65### Interaction Simplification
66- **Reduce choices**: Fewer buttons, fewer options, clearer path forward (paradox of choice is real)
67- **Smart defaults**: Make common choices automatic, only ask when necessary
68- **Inline actions**: Replace modal flows with inline editing where possible
69- **Remove steps**: Can signup be one step instead of three? Can checkout be simplified?
70- **Clear CTAs**: ONE obvious next step, not five competing actions
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72### Content Simplification
73- **Shorter copy**: Cut every sentence in half, then do it again
74- **Active voice**: "Save changes" not "Changes will be saved"
75- **Remove jargon**: Plain language always wins
76- **Scannable structure**: Short paragraphs, bullet points, clear headings
77- **Essential information only**: Remove marketing fluff, legalese, hedging
78- **Remove redundant copy**: No headers restating intros, no repeated explanations, say it once
79 
80### Code Simplification
81- **Remove unused code**: Dead CSS, unused components, orphaned files
82- **Flatten component trees**: Reduce nesting depth
83- **Consolidate styles**: Merge similar styles, use utilities consistently
84- **Reduce variants**: Does that component need 12 variations, or can 3 cover 90% of cases?
85 
86**NEVER**:
87- Remove necessary functionality (simplicity ≠ feature-less)
88- Sacrifice accessibility for simplicity (clear labels and ARIA still required)
89- Make things so simple they're unclear (mystery ≠ minimalism)
90- Remove information users need to make decisions
91- Eliminate hierarchy completely (some things should stand out)
92- Oversimplify complex domains (match complexity to actual task complexity)
93 
94## Verify Simplification
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96Ensure simplification improves usability:
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98- **Faster task completion**: Can users accomplish goals more quickly?
99- **Reduced cognitive load**: Is it easier to understand what to do?
100- **Still complete**: Are all necessary features still accessible?
101- **Clearer hierarchy**: Is it obvious what matters most?
102- **Better performance**: Does simpler design load faster?
103 
104## Document Removed Complexity
105 
106If you removed features or options:
107- Document why they were removed
108- Consider if they need alternative access points
109- Note any user feedback to monitor
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111When the cuts feel right, hand off to `$impeccable polish` for the final pass. As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry put it: "Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."
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