What Really is Minimalistic Design?

Debunking the Misconceptions of Minimalistic Design.

Minimalism first became popular as an artistic movement in the late 1960’s, which I was surprised to find out because I thought it only existed in the last 7-8 years! Minimalistic design is still one of the most enduring trends today and has cemented itself as the go-to aesthetic amongst graphic designers, architects and interior designers.

Many business owners are often confused by the true meaning of minimal design, and end up creating a design which is an attempt at being minimal to try and fit the trend. I know this because I was once there myself, and unless someone teaches you what minimalism really is, you will never know. So I’m here to help you understand the misconceptions of minimalism so that you don’t fall into the same trap, help you understand what it really means, and teach you how to create a minimalistic design should you wish to create one for your business!

Most people think minimal design is using lots of white space, minimal text in a teeny tiny font size, simple geometric features and lines, and only 2 or 3 colours. I bet you thought the same. Although these are examples of minimal design, true minimalism serves a completely different purpose.

Now that I understand minimalistic design, how can I create one for my business?

You can start by deciding on a goal for your content. This will be the overarching purpose behind every element included in your design project, so choose carefully. Once you have decided on the motive, choose each element with your purpose in mind – from the feelings the typeface conveys, the meaning behind the colours used, the emphasis you are trying to create on specific phrases with their font sizes, the image explaining what words can’t. Everything must have a reason, and that which doesn’t must be discarded to avoid distracting the viewer.

White space (or negative space) is especially helpful, there should be no lack of empty space between each element, as it helps the viewer concentrate on what is there, and allows for easier readability and viewing.

Use contrasting elements, for example the colours black and white, blue and orange, or opposite textures like concrete and fur to really make things stand out. Pick one main colour that drives the design forward and use contrasting colours alongside this. Whichever colours you decide to go with, make sure they match the message and design theme. (Hint: if you need a little help with figuring out contrasting colours, take a look at the colour wheel chart on Google.)

Remember that balance is key! For every bold or heavy element, look for ways to balance them with lighter ones like shapes and space. The same goes for fonts, which need to be in a clean and readable font and paired in a hierarchical way to show the importance of the message.

So what really is minimalistic design and how can I get the most out of it?

So that must mean minimalistic design is easy to create?

Not quite. Although minimalistic design appears simple on the outside, a lot of thought, practice and time goes into the process. Minimalistic design has to be extremely consistent and cohesive, and works best when the message is cleverly portrayed. It’s also important to consider how every element in your design can be linked and interact with one another to create the bigger picture.

Nowadays we often see minimalistic design for modern brands, but I personally think you can use it for any design style: luxurious, retro, organic, even a fun and playful brand. We can even mix these design styles!

An example of a popular company that uses minimalistic design is Google. They use a minimal approach for all of their designs, basing them on a core purpose and function. The Google Search page has a simple interface which clearly shows the function of the page – for you to ask the search engine your question and hit ‘search.’ Everything non-essential was removed or left out.

So does that mean function is the driving force behind minimalism?

Bingo! The core of minimal design is led by purpose and function. There are actually three components that combined together create a minimal design, which are:

1. The design must be driven by the message or the function.
2. The designer must remove any clutter that distracts the viewer from engaging with the design.
3. Each design element serves a purpose to achieve the final end goal.

Now that I understand minimalistic design, how can I create one for my business?

You can start by deciding on a goal for your content. This will be the overarching purpose behind every element included in your design project, so choose carefully. Once you have decided on the motive, choose each element with your purpose in mind – from the feelings the typeface conveys, the meaning behind the colours used, the emphasis you are trying to create on specific phrases with their font sizes, the image explaining what words can’t. Everything must have a reason, and that which doesn’t must be discarded to avoid distracting the viewer.

White space (or negative space) is especially helpful, there should be no lack of empty space between each element, as it helps the viewer concentrate on what is there, and allows for easier readability and viewing.

Use contrasting elements, for example the colours black and white, blue and orange, or opposite textures like concrete and fur to really make things stand out. Pick one main colour that drives the design forward and use contrasting colours alongside this. Whichever colours you decide to go with, make sure they match the message and design theme. (Hint: if you need a little help with figuring out contrasting colours, take a look at the colour wheel chart on Google.)

Remember that balance is key! For every bold or heavy element, look for ways to balance them with lighter ones like shapes and space. The same goes for fonts, which need to be in a clean and readable font and paired in a hierarchical way to show the importance of the message.

Minimalistic design is becoming increasingly popular and it will be exciting to see how the trend evolves over the next few years.