>[!abstract] >KISS, an acronym for "Keep it simple, stupid!", is a design principle first noted by the U.S. Navy in 1960. First seen partly in American English by at least 1938, KISS implies that simplicity should be a design goal. The acronym was reportedly coined by Kelly Johnson, lead engineer at the Lockheed Skunk Works (creators of the Lockheed U-2 and SR-71 Blackbird spy planes, among many others). The acronym was reportedly coined by Kelly Johnson, lead engineer at the Lockheed Skunk Works (creators of the Lockheed U-2 and SR-71 Blackbird spy planes, among many others) (Wikipedia, 2025). >[!related] >- **North** (upstream): [[Design philosophy]] >- **West** (similar): [[Occam's razor]] >- **East** (different): [[Overengineering]] >- **South** (downstream): [[Minimalism]]