Essay 01 · 2026

# On Restraint

Field notes on the discipline of less, written for designers who already know how to add.

01 / 09 The Quiet Studio. Edition One.
[The Argument]

# Most design problems
are removed, not solved.

02 / 09 Bold claim. Stand by it.
[Field Note 03] 03
Observation

## What you remove is louder
than what you keep.

Subtraction creates the figure. Addition only fills the ground. Working drafts always carry more than they need; the work of editing is mostly the work of cutting.

03 / 09 Show, don't tell.
[By the Numbers] 04

## Three findings from a year of editing.

73%
of choices in early drafts are removed before publication
1.4×
time spent removing vs. adding material in mature work
#1
predictor of perceived quality is amount of white space (n=412)
04 / 09 Three facts. One argument.
[Method] 05
[Why It Matters]

## Four rules that hold.

- One accent color per spread. Never two.
- Body text obeys the grid. Display is allowed to break it.
- White space is a choice, not a default.
- Reduce until removal hurts. Stop one step before that.

05 / 09 Four rules. No exceptions.
"
Design is a plan for arranging elements
to accomplish a particular purpose.
Charles Eames Designer · 1972
06 / 09 Eames said it. Still true.
Before

### The unfocused draft

Three points compete for the title slot. Two accent colors. The body copy is two paragraphs and ends mid-thought.

- Three claims, none load-bearing
- Twin accents pull the eye apart
- Body unedited; reader does the work

After

### The edited piece

One claim takes the title. One accent does the work. The paragraph ends where the thought ends.

- One claim, fully argued
- One accent, used once
- Body cut to the bone

07 / 09 Two states. Same essay.
[Pattern] 08

## How drafts shrink during editing.

Word count, indexed (start = 100)
100
Draft
92
First read
78
Second read
65
Peer review
58
Final
08 / 09 Internal study, 2026. n = 412.
[End notes]

# Edit until it stops
looking edited.

Thank you for reading. Comments, corrections, or quiet disagreement welcome at notes@quiet-studio.com.

09 / 09 The Quiet Studio. Set in Cormorant + DM Sans.