It is always interesting seeing how one can abstract a subject. The process of simplification perhaps is misleading, because there are many ways to alter, reduce, and change a form so that it communicates a certain meaning. A simple message is not necessarily the most accurate, and an abstracted form is not necessarily the most truthful. Abstraction is more of a lens of focus that can be employed as a tool in order to gain insight into an aspect of the subject. Using distortion and manipulation as tools to bring forth parts that would otherwise be obscured.
In the example below, I abstracted the arrangement of windows that were illuminated on an apartment building in the University District.
