There is a trend towards minimalism
If you were to describe what minimalism was to a graphic designer, you would probably talk about a lack of embellishment in design, with a focus on functionality. You would probably also think of a neutral colour palette of blacks, greys, and whites. Minimalism is not about having less, but it is essential if you want to focus on improving your customer experience.
If you seek to have freedom from the clutter and trappings of the consumer culture, you have built our lives around over the years; then we must develop a minimalistic attitude to graphic design.
It seems that the true spirit of minimalism–pared down, functional design elements–has been lost and, instead, replaced with boring black and white colour schemes. I suspect this was done to make up for the lack of processing power and screen size on mobile devices.
Mobile devices are now as powerful as computers, and some even have better screens. Graphic design needs to be crisp and efficient without taking up too much screen space. Minimalism in graphic design becomes vital, so it is noticeable and easy to read without dominating the screen space.
Reassess your creative capacity
All too often people tend to give too much significance to their creative capacity, often forsaking relationships, and the desire to contribute to the overall marketing effort. Minimalism does not mean we should not be creative; it merely allows you to make decisions more consciously, more deliberately about what you need to do with it to get your messages across.
We have to start emulating a more minimalist style with our featured images for smartphones, social media and blogs. Use a simple design to communicate the message, simpler graphics, fewer words.
Minimalism escapes the grasp of consumerism and encourages the boosting of performance, with more personal interaction and more real-life connections with people in a ‘noisy’ world.
Compelling reasons to embrace minimalism
- It provides a purpose. Designing as a minimalist teaches us to appreciate what we value most.
- It promotes healthier minds and attitudes towards the graphic design. In a minimalist’s world, there is less clutter to feed the brain. It enables people to have a clearer perspective on issues and desires, without mental distraction.
- It ensures appreciation for what really matters. The minimalist looks for clarity. As a result, everyone around them can grow and move their actions to create a better marketing performance.
Practical ways to apply minimalism in your designs
Minimalism is easier to talk about than to practise. The key is to start with the message and remove anything that does not support it. Every element on the page should earn its place.
- Use white space generously. Space around text and images makes the important parts easier to see and gives the design room to breathe.
- Limit your fonts. One or two typefaces, used consistently, look more confident than a mix of styles.
- Choose a focused colour palette. Minimalism does not have to mean black and white. A neutral base with one strong accent colour can guide the eye to your call to action.
- Create a clear hierarchy. Make it obvious what people should read first, second and third through size, weight and placement.
- Cut the copy. Say it in fewer words, then see if you can say it in fewer still.
Avoiding the common traps of minimalism
Minimal design can go wrong when simplicity turns into emptiness. If people cannot tell what a page is about or where to click, the design has gone too far. Clarity should always come before style.
Be careful not to hide important information or navigation just to keep a layout clean. Test your designs on real users and on different screen sizes, especially mobile phones, to make sure they still make sense.
Accessibility matters as well. Pale grey text on a white background might look elegant, but it can be hard to read. Good minimalism uses strong contrast, readable font sizes and clear labels so everyone can understand the message.
Do some research. While many people may have heard about minimalism, there are many misconceptions associated with it. It is therefore prudent to first have your people understand what it can do for them. Start today and take a more straightforward approach to your graphic design.
