Two MoTacon attendees are on the left. The MoTaacon logo is in the center, and to the right a prompt to Get Your Ticket.

Keep It Simple, Stupid (KISS)

Keep It Simple, Stupid (KISS) image
A design principle encouraging developers to avoid unnecessary complexity in code, favouring straightforward solutions over clever ones. 

Often cited alongside DRY as one of the foundational principles of clean code. The name is intentionally blunt: the "stupid" is directed at the temptation to over-engineer, not at the developer. Code that follows KISS tends to be easier to read, easier to test, and less likely to surprise the next person who has to work with it. The principle is often paired with a warning that clever code might look impressive but readable code is far more valuable to a team.
Explore MoT
Influence, from the other side of the table image
What I learned about influence by becoming a stakeholder
Improving Your Testing Through Operability image
Gain the tools you need to become an operability advocate. Making your testing even more awesome along the way!
This Week in Quality image
Debrief the week in Quality via a community radio show hosted by Simon Tomes and members of the community
Subscribe to our newsletter