Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius--and a lot of courage--to move in the opposite direction. --Albert Einstein

I have always believed in Einsten's quote. There is a related one:

Everything should be as simple as possible but not simpler.-Alber Einstein

The two quotes embody a basic software design philosophy that, when applied, results in good things: simple code is clear, maintainable, reusable, and extendable. But as Einstein notes, simplicity is hard.

This is is why Test Driven Development (TDD) is beautiful. When practiced with discipline, automated tests guide the programmer to simplicty; they provide a roadmap to nirvana. (Alright, this is a bit too flowery. I am starting to sound like an XP evangelist)

Achieving simplicty is still hard. But for software, TDD makes it a little easier.