The film's title was inspired by the popular maxim "Less is more," popularized by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969), who used this aphorism to describe his design aesthetic; his tactic was one of arranging the necessary components of a building to create an impression of extreme simplicity. The Minimalists have reworked this phrase to create a sense of urgency for today's consumer culture: now is the time for less.