The Beauty of Minimalism
Jeff Orlowski | Senior Art Director
In the arts, minimalism can be defined as “reducing the concept or idea to its simplest form.” Minimalism strips away our concerns for the superfluous and let’s us focus on what’s important. It also let’s us imagine the possibilities by giving us the environmental freedom to feel in control and comfortable – a psychological state that makes it easy to explore and to create. Minimalism in design allows patterns to emerge because audiences are more comfortable with the experience.
Simple layouts and color schemes, along with less clutter and increased functionality are creating designs that are timeless and intuitive. Minimalism allows an audience to find the information they need quickly.
However, minimalism is not just about simplicity. Many of the effects of minimalism are transparent occurring behind the scenes during development. It allows designers an opportunity to say more with less and increases the clarity of the piece when used. It gives strength to the content and places the focus on the vital features and essential elements of the layout.
Without the added clutter and fancy fillers, there is less to distract the reader from the purpose of the layout and the now clearly focused content can present a stylish appeal for the reader. Minimalism can provide an enjoyable experience that presents value for the viewer.
One of the keys to minimalism in design is effective use of white space and a distinct lack of clutter. Of course white space doesn’t have to be white, it simply refers to open space in the design, whatever color that may be. Clutter can have several negative impacts on layouts readability. Most importantly, general audiences have a hard time focusing on the most important parts of a layout if it is cluttered. White space makes the contents of the page easier to digest.
Many of the best minimalism designs compensate for using less photos and graphics by making better use of typography. Excellent typography is capable of replacing many of the visual benefits that are lost by not using a lot of images. For this reason, typography is even more critical in a minimalism design than it is for other styles of design.
Effective minimalism designs rely on making a strong impact with the few images and graphics that are used, rather than making an impact by using a lot of them. It’s quality vs. quantity in a way. By using fewer images, those that are used are able to be more effective by inviting the attention from a reader.
Color can be a very powerful method for helping particular content stand out. The simplicity of a minimalism design allows color choices to have more of an impact. Earlier I mentioned the importance of typography and how it can help to replace the need for images. Effectively combining color and typography can have significant results.
One of the biggest reasons for using a simple layout is that it’s easier for a person to quickly see the purpose of a layout or a particular page, rather than being overwhelmed by excessive items placed on a page. With this approach you’ll have better control over the message that is being communicated to your audience.
Many designs have so much going on that it’s difficult for visitors to know what the focal point of the site is, or what is important. Simple layouts have a simple advantage; they can more effectively communicate the message of the layout and direct the person’s attention to the most important content on the page.
A good designer will use a minimalist approach to their designs in order to provide a person with the type of experience they have come to expect. Layouts are all about providing value and much can be said about the value of minimalism and simplicity. Understanding minimalism in design will give any designer or client an advantage clearly appreciated by most audiences.
If you have questions or want to share your thoughts, please email me at ignite@abbeymecca.com
~ Jeff