The Concept

Minimalism is a style of art, which uses the least possible amount of elements to reduce the concept or idea to its simplest form. This term has now penetrated the online design community and we are seeing web sites becoming simpler, with less clutter and irrelevant elements.

Minimalism in web design refers to the core functionality of the site and its basic elements. It isn’t about designing featureless or boring pages. It is about using the least amount of fundamental elements that create a useful and elegant site.

Web designers are generally creative and artistic types. It can be easy to become infatuated with elements that look cool and display their creativity. As advancements in technology brought increased bandwidth, high-speed modems and data lines to a level of affordability for the average user, web designers began a new love affair with audio, video, and animated design elements. Along with this growing attraction came a tendency to over design. However, just because we can, doesn’t mean we should.

We are now seeing a reversal in the trend to add every new element possible to a site just because it was available or looked sweet. Web designers are returning to their original focus on web site functionality. Web design is now experiencing a minimalist movement in spite of the advanced technology available to designers today.

What Minimalism Can Do For Your Web Design

Minimalism in web design is a good sign of things to come. Simple layouts and color schemes, along with less clutter and increased functionality are creating sites that are easier to navigate, user-friendly, and intuitive. Minimalism in web design allows users to find the information they need quickly. They can easily move through the pages of the site finding valuable information without waiting for slow loading pages or wading through a ton of irrelevant material.

However, minimalism is not just about simplicity. It is much more than that. Many of the effects of minimalism are transparent occurring behind the scenes during development of the site. It allows designers an opportunity to say more with less and increases the clarity of the site when used. It gives strength to the sites content and places the focus on the vital features and essential elements of the site.

Without the added clutter and fancy fillers, there is less to distract users from the purpose of the site and the now clearly focused content can present a stylish appeal for the visitor. Minimalism can provide the visitor with a calm, relaxing, enjoyable experience and they will typically take the time to browse the site fully if it meets their needs or provides value for them.

How to Use Minimalism in Web Design

One way web designers are implementing minimalism is by designing pages using cascading style sheets linked to the web thereby reducing the amount of code on a page and allowing them to load faster. It also makes pages easier to maintain, both for the original designer and for those designers brought in later.

Graphics are another good candidate for minimalism in web design. Designers increasingly began using graphics simply because they were cool or cute or because they were new and flashy. However, this created slow loading pages and cluttered disorganized sites. The use of large graphics, many time unrelated to the content, took the focus off the content and placed it on the clock as it ticked by waiting for a page to load.

Minimalist design uses only lean graphics that are particularly relevant to the content. Any graphics used must add maximum value to the content and if they don’t they are simply avoided. The same is true for the colors of the site. If every color of the pallet is used, none will stand out when necessary. Keep the colors to a minimum and use bold colors to highlight important areas of focus.

Minimalism in web design follows web standards and integrates plenty of white (open) space within the layout. Again, the focus is on the user and their interest in the sites offerings. The use of minimalism allows for a site that is easy on the eyes and uncluttered. It creates a comforting feel that makes a user want to stay.

Create site content using only one or two standard fonts in large enough type to make it easy to read for any user. Standard fonts such as Verdana, Times New Roman, or Arial give the site an elegant, professional appearance.

Designers interested in minimalism should reduce their use of Flash, JavaScript, and large graphics to ensure their optimization of the site for search engine ranking. Search engine spiders are usually unable to navigate sites using Flash and JavaScript. They operate by moving from link to link and without those links, they will simply move on to the next site.

Final Thoughts

Minimalism in web design is clean and pure while still containing all of the important features essential for a functional web site. The site design is pleasing to the eye and easy to navigate and flashy sites that bombard the user with ads, bold colors and flashing, blinking, or moving graphics are quickly becoming outdated for the most part. The emphasis now is on clean layouts, easy navigation, and quick loading. Certainly, there are sites in which flashy designs are appropriate but, for most, a minimalist approach is ideal.

Although there may be times when a surfer looks specifically for a flashy site with all of the latest technological toys, for the most part, typical users aren’t interested in watching a movie or listening to a recorded message when they are searching for information. They prefer simply receiving the content they came for quickly and easily. They want to visit a site and immediately know what its purpose is.

A good designer will use a minimalist approach to their designs in order to provide the user with the type of experience they have come to expect. Websites today are all about providing value and much can be said about the value of minimalism and simplicity. Understanding minimalism in web design will give any designer an advantage clearly appreciated by most users.

Tags: design, Minimalism, web design

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