KISS Principle: Simplicity as an Architecture Decision
Last updated: March 2026 · Reading time: 3 minutes
Every additional feature, every custom module and every special customization increases the complexity of your system. Complexity costs: in development, in maintenance and with every update.
The KISS principle is not a call for under-functionality. It is an architecture guideline: build the simplest solution that fully solves the problem.
Applying KISS in Drupal Projects
Contrib before custom: before developing a custom module, check whether a maintained contrib module exists. The community has already solved most standard problems.
Fewer content types: not every content variation needs its own content type. Often a flexible content type with Paragraphs is sufficient.
Clear information architecture: flat hierarchies, unambiguous navigation, predictable URL patterns. Users and search engines will thank you.
Simplicity Reduces Maintenance Costs
Every custom module must be checked with Drupal updates. Every additional content type increases editorial complexity. Every special customization makes an agency switch harder.
arocom measures the complexity of a Drupal project by the number of custom modules, the depth of configuration and the deviation from the Drupal standard. The closer to the standard, the lower the long-term operating costs.
Your next step
Is your Drupal project overly complex? The Drupal Future Check identifies unnecessary complexity and simplification potential.
Does KISS mean we have to sacrifice features?
No. KISS means implementing features with the simplest technical solution. The functionality stays the same, the architecture becomes leaner.
How do you recognize too much complexity?
Warning signs: more than 10 custom modules, updates take days instead of hours, editors need training for simple changes, only one developer understands the system.
Read more
- Make or Buy — Custom development vs. standard solution
- Poka Yoke — Preventing errors instead of correcting them
- Project Management — How arocom structures projects
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