Minimalism has become a popular trend in many aspects of our society, from architecture and art, to design and lifestyle. Most of today’s popular trends in design are influenced by minimalism, and the same goes when it comes to present-day websites. Popular elements include a flat design with large background images and hidden global navigation. Minimalism in web design is a movement that began in the 2000s, and it borrows the philosophy of earlier minimalist movements in fields such as art and architecture.
The web designer of today focuses a great deal on good user experience, and tries to create the most user friendly and attractive site possible. Minimalism is both intelligent and functional in the digital environment. When viewing a web page, it is important to offer solutions without the requirement for distracting visuals and components.
Simple Origins
The ultimate goal of minimalism is consistency, usability, economy, and the ability to do more with less. It is important to understand the roots of minimalism design in order to avoid the pitfall of focusing just on aesthetics. Minimalism is very much inspired by Japanese traditional architecture, interior design and culture. It comes from a cultural background that favors balance, simplicity, and an emphasis on simple colors and design choices that promote functionality and a sense of calm.
The minimalist movement itself began in the 20th century, and was very much influenced by the introduction of modern construction materials such as steel, concrete and glass. An icon of the minimalist movement is Van der Rohe, who is the person that first applied the term “less is more”, and has shaped much of the modern era.
The concept of “less is more” quickly moved from architecture to other movements such as art, design, and even music. Its central idea was to do away with any elements that did not contribute significantly to the “whole”. The same principles are now being applied to modern websites.
Simple Websites
Modern websites use “negative space”. This refers to areas on a web page that are empty, and provide more emphasis on the important elements. A great example of this is none other than the Google homepage. The emphasis is on the search bar, and everything else is just negative space. This design aesthetic has greatly contributed to the search engine’s popularity.
The removal of unnecessary “fluff” on a web page ensures that users have a more positive experience that is less stressful and more engaging. Having fewer elements on the webpage, the chosen palette can have a greater impact. Some go for a high contrast palette in order to make the page more readable, and can direct users to the important elements on the page.
Seamless navigation between different parts of the webpage plays a significant role in the overall design. Negative space is the most important element of any modern page and a brilliant design idea is one that takes the user through the website in a way that is consistent and instinctive. An example would be an online casino website. Such a website is done in such a way that puts great emphasis on the games. These pages are created in a way to make navigating the games as simple as possible.
If employed correctly, minimalism can present the webpage’s contents in a simple and direct way by providing as little distraction from the core content. When creating a site, web designers should avoid eliminating the necessary features when trying to simplify a site.
Conclusion
Minimal web pages are important in our modern day, especially now with the significant use of mobile devices. A simple and clean web page makes using the internet more simple and convenient. Emphasis is placed on the important elements and the smart usage of negative space to create something that looks pleasant and is easy to use.
