Advantages of Minimalist Web Design

Minimalism is an aesthetic movement that originated in the post-World War II era and has had a significant impact on the visual arts, music, and architecture among other disciplines. Considered by some to be a reaction against the wild color palettes and designs of abstract expressionism, minimalism emphasizes clean, simple, stripped down models that provide only what is necessary to the consumer, nothing more. Recently, many web designers have begun to apply these minimalist principles to web design and development to create a visually appealing and “uncluttered” appearance.

What is MUD (minimally usable deisgn)?

Using the concept of MUD or Minimally Usable Design, web developers break everything down to the barest possible design elements without compromising functionality. The idea of “less is more” was first popularized by the great architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe as it related to building design. However, in the context of web design, this principle is achieved by limiting design elements to only those items that are essential to achieving the designated goals. The goal is to achieve an effect that greater than the sum of the design’s parts. Examples of the minimalist aesthetic in web design can be found here: http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/clean-simple-minimalist-website-design/.

Take Aways What Is Not Needed

“Omit needless things” is one of the key concepts behind minimalist web design. In other words, don’t incorporate unnecessary elements into your website. Anything that does not directly contribute to either content or function should be left out. However, this approach must be balanced with the fact that some design and graphical elements will directly affect the usability of your website. To create a truly minimal approach, the designer will subtract elements until the design is at the point of no longer working, once the website is on the point of “breaking” you will have achieved the most minimal possible design. The website should still be user-friendly and deliver a quality experience to your customers, but everything not absolutely needed for this has been removed. Here is a link to some award-winning minimalist sites: Check S.

There are relatively few disadvantages to minimalist design, so we’ll talk about those first. One possible disadvantage is that an overly stripped down look could make your website look cheap, unfinished, or devoid of content. However, this can be avoided with a few stylish touches and rich content. Another possible disadvantage of minimalist websites is that they may not be sufficient to meet your needs as your business grows. Careful planning can avoid this problem, allowing your website to be scaled up to meet your needs as you expand and progress toward your goals.

So what are some of the advantages of this minimalist design aesthetic? For one thing, a minimalist website is much easier to maintain and keep problem free since it is less complex than other approaches. Because it has fewer elements and applications, it will load faster than other websites. A simple design is also less likely to go out of fashion or look dated. Another advantage is that the site design itself tends to create an environment that allows your customers to focus on the products and services you are offering, guiding them actually to where you want their attention to fall. These techniques lead to better sales conversion and a better memory of what your customers saw on your page. Finally, the stripped down design will open up vast amounts of space which can be dedicated to what is crucial: your content.