Elegance is the attribute of being unusually effective and simple. It is frequently used as a standard of tastefulness, particularly in the areas of visual design and decoration.

Some westerners associate elegance with simplicity and consistency of design, focusing on the main or basic features of an object, its dignified gracefulness, or restrained beauty of style.

Visual stimuli are frequently considered elegant if a small number of colors and stimuli are used.

Synonyms: classy

Closed to simplicity and consistency of design

Elegance is about the gratuitous (serampangan, asal-asalan) — or, rather, avoiding the gratuitous.  It’s true that sometimes people disagree about which of two or more things is the “most elegant”, but this arises from underlying assumptions rather than any true subjectivity of the principle. Each of us has a set of operating assumptions, some greater than others. Where something conforms to one’s expectations and assumptions, it is seen to not lack in elegance in that manner. Someone that does not have the same underlying assumptions might see the same thing as atrociously inelegant, but having a different set of assumptions would overlook similarly subjective.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” — Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519)

“Things should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” — Albert Einstein (1879–1955)

“Dream big, simple act.” – Miphz