Word: Ockham's Razor (sometimes Occam's Razor)

Definition: A philosophical rule about simplicity. The theory states that when choosing between multiple options, the simpler choice should be selected.

Reference: The theory is named for 14th-century theologian, William of Ockham and is used as a problem solving device.

Ockham's Razor helps justify and support design decisions. Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hanson, the duo behind such software as Basecamp, utilize this principle in their work. They have been quoted saying,

"We design [our applications] to be simple because we believe most software is too complex: too many features, too many buttons, too much confusion."

While a simplistic feature set is not the solution to all design problems, it does not hurt to keep Ockham's razor in the back of your mind, especially when determining a feature set and product scope.

Question: How do you feel about simplistic design and utilizing such theories in UX practice? Where are the exceptions? What are the pitfalls?