Minimalism has been a hot trend in discussions for the last few years. And rightly so! This notion in design philosophy has been consecutively observed in art, architecture, digital production and everywhere else- even in places one may not consciously notice!
Developing an ideal minimalist design can lead to impressive results due to the potent combination of strong usability and keen aesthetics lead to excellent user experience. However, the notion of minimalism is tricky to grasp. How can one define the minimalist design and what has been the historical value of minimalism in today’s web design are a few questions one must know before they embark on the journey of minimising design.
Defining minimalism
Have you heard the adage, ‘less is more?’ The words of wisdom often applied to fashion are the essence of this design philosophy. Minimalism is the art of less. This implies that design itself is not a mere visual aesthetic but is indeed a combination of factors such as efficiency, usability and communication. It communicates the story of the brand and the subtle messages through a composite visual. Hence, it is safe to say that communication works best when kept concise. This is why a minimalist designer strips away the elements deemed unnecessary and redirects focus on the key essentials.
Kindly subscribe to our YouTube channel
Minimalism in web design
When it comes to the merits of minimalism in web design, there are many things that one must take account of. Due to the imminent lack of extant literature on the subject, it is often misconstrued. One must keep it in mind that minimalist design does not equate a lack of efforts or time being put into the design; instead, it is the conveyance of a simplistic message that focusses on the necessary elements only. That is how minimalism can be properly executed. Presenting a clear message to the visitors requires the establishment of a broad scope of facts and figures through utter precision.
In order to succeed with this objective, a designer must be mindful of the purpose of the website and dedicate an ample amount of time to structure the content in an appropriate fashion. The designers are often praised for their ability to create, the concept of building design on a blank screen from scratch is a commendable act, indeed. Since the designers have trained in the skills of design, it is the art of taking elements away that is hard to master.
Designers like to use similar visual stimulations everywhere, which could not go well with those who seek reduced designs.
While some designers are capable of producing precise designs, some tend to develop a full-fledged story and then start removing unnecessary details that are not serving a function on the website. This alternate method is too tedious and can be termed painful, but if one executes it to perfection, then the results obtained are stunning, to say the least. This practice is called reductionism.
Historical perspective
Websites and their designs became mainstream in the 2000s. The interface of the era was predominantly overwhelming and cluttered. Over the years the maximalist philosophy of bloated and gratuitous content is considered bad for the sensibilities of the end-user.
Theoretically, minimalism is a route to shun maximalist and streamline content into efficient task flows for the user. However, in practice, it is observed that minimalism has mutated into a superficial trend where visuals from popular designers are recreated without much effort or thought given to the goals of the individual site.
Minimalism is a reaction to maximalist web design. Similarly, skeuomorphism has led to the development of a flat design. In either case, a balanced approach is advised. Websites like krogerexperiencee.com have done a tremendous job in executing the theory.
Benefits of minimalist design
Minimalism is very beneficial. It is considered as the leader of a paradigm shift in web design and has manifested from a cultural derivation from the maximalist architecture, interior design and also fashion.
It honours content by reducing investment in design.
Minimalism respects content for its value on the website. It executes the adage ‘content is king’. The primary objective is to bring sufficient attention to the words inscribed on the website. It facilitates the consumption of content by reducing distracting elements from the design, such as aesthetic features and tags that deprive the user of finding the information needed immediately.
It leads to better performances on the website
Since minimalist design has fewer objects and image files, it has better speed. The faster the load time, the better results on bounce rates are achieved; hence improving the overall performance of the website. Minimalism balances the lack of unnecessary details by introducing better functionality and higher rates of efficiency.
It helps in the creation of a design that is suitable for all screen sizes.
Another feather in the hat of minimalist design philosophy is the easy scalability it offers. Due to simple designs and fast loading speeds, the minimalist websites can easily adapt to a variety of screen sizes such as computers, mobile phones and also the PAD devices. The compatibility offers room for creativity and future scalability of the project.
Final Takeaway
In the end, the most significant aspect of minimalist design is the goal that needs to be achieved. It depends on whether the designer is trying out a new trend or is genuinely interested in subduing the maximalist design into something new and refreshing.
One must remember that minimalism transcends the bounds of design and is also a part of philosophical schools of thought. This is why it requires the designer to be adept in the art of reductionism if they wish to execute the strategy with success.
It is equally important to keep in mind that the minimalist design is not always suitable for a design project. However, the catch here is that the inherent principles of clear communication embedded in the philosophy always come handy to a designer on a mission.
For stories of this sort and more, do well to log on to www.jbklutse.com or visit us on Facebook. To report a typo, email the editor: editor@jbklutse.com.
