In today’s divided and volatile world, we need an outside-the-box upending of values in order to find happiness. One hundred years after the Bauhaus, the “Less is more” economy explores the possibility of a more abundant and fulfilling life than that offered by aggressive economic growth by leveraging our own abilities and resilience. Goodbye efficiency, hello design and aesthetics.

Potential of the “Less is more “Economy

The potential of the “Less is more” economy starts emerging anywhere when we apply “less is more” design. Considering the fact that efficiency-first economy often denies our abilities and passion as “inefficient” (how many times did you get your resume rejected when you were more than eager to contribute?), the outcome could be extraordinary if we could mobilize the power currently ignored and unused, and if we could turn sense of rejection and anger into constructive energy.

As discussed earlier, “less is more” is not limited to product design – although we have great examples such as MUJI, Patagonia, or even Steve Job’s Apple – new “constellations” will emerge if we can connect people’s shared behavioral potential in a way efficiency-first economy never did. Indeed, the best place to explore new potential of the “Less is more” economy is the notions we have been rejecting as “inefficient.” You now know how “less” becomes “more,” and how “used are better than new.” If you apply the same value upending, new opportunities will emerge from totally unexpected areas. The most visible trend is minimalist lifestyle and decluttering, in which people are feeling happier by letting go their assets and owing a lot less. Tiny house is also becoming popular as more people see “small” living environment not just affordable but also flexible, editable, mobile and sharable. Speaking of which, sharing is growing as a flexible and cheaper alternative to access products and services because it lets us overcome disadvantages of costly and wasteful exclusive ownership. Small-scale, unique creations by people are finding sizable markets thanks to the advanced technology that connect sellers and buyers directly, making uniqueness-deficient mass production look increasingly stale. And in this increasingly volatile world, temporary could have more opportunities than permanent or fixed, and being ambiguous could prove to be more resilient than something that is rigidly defined. Those upending of perceived values are applied not just to products but also to life style, processes, relationships, behavioral changes or systems. Opportunities are limitless.

Potential Upending of Values in the “Les is more” Economy

The “Less is more “Economy: Stories

The “Less is more” economy is quietly, slowly, but steadily increasing its presence. Everything that leverages our own ability, instead of external help for personal or mutual/collective benefits and happiness is “Less is more” economy, as long as it helps build economically resilient community/society. We are eager to hear from you about your experiences/passion to make our world happier, fulfilling place without worrying too much about how much we earn or what we have. This page will be constantly updated to showcase fresh stories from all over the world.  Let’s make it happen in your community!  

The “Less is more “Economy Stories: Design

The “Less is more “Economy Stories: Dematerialize

When we keep buying products/services, we completely forget that our ability to manage our belongings is limited. But can you manage 100 staff if you were a manager? For the very same reason, you cannot manage endless number of belongings. It just causes a lot of stress. Reducing the amount of belongings and dematerializing your life is a new trend to adjust your asset based on your ability to manage them. By letting go unnecessary belongings or relationships, you are calibrating your capacities, not giving up assets.

The “Less is more “Economy Stories: Downsize

“The bigger the better” is another pitfall we often walk into living in a modern world. The average house size in the US keeps increasing, and people love driving big SUVs and trucks even when they are on their own. But big things tend to degrade when you are not looking, and disconnect/disengage people. If “small” suddenly feels relevant, it’s not because it’s a new fad, it’s human-scale in a world in which many things are simple too “out of hand.” Discovering the beauty of small is equal to becoming conscious to our body and senses.

The “Less is more “Economy Stories: Open

Modern economy generated so many theories and strategies to win in a competitive world of business. It’s been long believed that you needed to secure secret, special recipes for success as proprietary assets no one else could share. Such a practice resulted in highly fragmented market: experts are in every niche defending and monopolizing their own area, which, eventually excluded people from any creation process and as “consumers” – only allowed to consume. This turns out to be a rigid silo system in which so much potential was denied access to other silos as “inefficient.” By opening channels in mutually beneficial ways, society could encourage a lot more vibrant value exchanges.