Website design is a never-ending struggle between aesthetics and design, the site's purpose and usability, content marketing considerations, and search engine optimisation.
Designers face a new challenge in today's overcrowded, saturated market. How can you grab the consumer's attention in a way that sets your website apart from the others?
The answer is minimalism.
Websites are not just about presenting content — they are about immersing the customer in an experience that is seamless, intuitive, and pleasurable. But with this new design culture comes a challenge.
How do you create an experience that is both minimalistic while also engaging? This article discusses minimalism in web design to help you perfect it and enhance the visitor experience.
What Is Minimalism?
The word minimalism comes from the Latin minimus, meaning “the smallest (minimum) amount necessary”. It includes a simple, uncomplicated design, the avoidance of clutter, and a focus on function.
What Is Minimalism in Design?
Minimalism in design is a style or approach that emphasises simplicity and eliminates unnecessary elements. It often uses negative space to create a sense of balance and harmony and to draw the viewer's attention to the essential elements of the design.
The goal is to bring a sense of order and clarity, using only the necessary elements to create a cohesive and visually appealing whole.
You can achieve this through geometric shapes, neutral colours, and simple, uncluttered compositions. You’ll notice that minimalism is common when it comes to logo design (you can also check an external article on Minimalist logo design), poster design, and website design (more on this below).
Image source: Cuba Gallery
Minimalism in web design is a strategy that looks to create a clean and intuitive interface by keeping decorative and functional elements as simple and minimal as possible. A minimalist web design is one where only the necessary is left.
Minimalism in website design refers to a design philosophy that emphasises simplicity, functionality, and minimal decoration. Minimalist websites typically use a minimal colour palette, simple typography, and a clean layout. The goal of minimalism is to create a website that is easy to navigate, easy to read, and easy on the eyes. This design approach can effectively highlight the most important elements of a website, such as content and calls to action.
Why Is Minimalism a Trend Now?
While it may come in and out of fashion in specific industries or design fields, minimalism remains a longstanding and vital movement. Particularly when it comes to website design trends (you can also check an external article on Website Design Trends).
In today's world of information overload, minimalism offers respite from an increasingly complex and cluttered landscape. Web designers may draw many people to minimalism's clean, uncluttered aesthetic to create a sense of order and calm in their surroundings as well as to draw attention to what’s vital.
Minimalism in website design has become a trend for a few reasons:
- Speed and performance: Minimalist websites often have a smaller file size and fewer elements, which can make them load faster and perform better on different devices.
- Mobile-first design: As more and more people access the internet on their mobile devices, minimalism allows for a better user experience on smaller screens.
- Focus on content: Minimalist design focuses on the content, making it easy for users to find what they're looking for without distractions.
- Increased use of flat design and material design: These design trends have made minimalism more popular and accessible for web designers and developers.
- Simplicity and elegance: Minimalism can create a sense of simplicity and elegance, which is considered a desirable aspect in design.
- Cost-effective: A minimalist design approach is relatively inexpensive to implement, making it an accessible option for many organisations.
- Easy to maintain: A simple design is much easier to maintain, which is important for website owners who want to keep their site up-to-date.
Overall minimalism trend in website design is an attempt to create a more user-friendly, visually pleasing, and fast-loading website that is easy to navigate and understand.
The environmental and sustainability movements may also contribute to minimalism's continued relevance. The minimalist philosophy of reducing excess and only using what is necessary aligns with the goals of reducing waste and consumption.
9 Tips for Perfecting Minimalism in Website Design
After getting acquainted with everything that’s said above, it’s now time to perfect your minimalist website design.
1. Focus on a Clean Interface
When creating a minimalist website, it's essential to focus on a clean and uncluttered interface. Avoid overloading your site with too much information, as this can make it challenging to learn and use. Instead, focus on optimising the amount of content you have and making it easier to navigate.
2. Use White Space Cleverly
Using white space effectively in minimalist design can help to create a clean and modern aesthetic. Carefully consider the placement of elements on the page, such as images and text. It allows the eye to move around the page quickly and makes the content more readable and engaging.
3. Choose Your Colour Palette Carefully
Experiment with different colour combinations until you find a variety that generates enough visual interest but not so much that it distracts from the message. Pick colours that align with the brand and the website's message and will appeal to the target audience.
Minimising colour choices can simplify the design process. A simple colour palette will create a sense of order and balance in the design and allow the content to stand out from the background.
4. Make a Statement With Your Typography
Typography can help you communicate a clear and compelling message. Consider how the typeface will work with the overall design, the message length, and the site's tone and voice.
Choose a clean and modern font that doesn't have too many decorative elements. This approach will help create a clean and uncluttered look and make the text easy to read.
5. Visual Hierarchy Is Key
Creating a visual hierarchy with your website's content can help to direct the visitor easily and quickly through the site.
Use effective contrast and colour combinations to direct attention to different elements. Use vertical positioning and other shapes, sizes, and distances from the centre of the page to develop a sense of order and structure on your site.
6. Only Use Essential Images & Elements
A minimalist design often relies heavily on a small number of images and other visual elements. Stick to the bare essentials. Don't over-complicate your design and add too many elements, such as links and images. Focusing on clarity will help create an attractive and engaging website that's easy to use.
Don't overcrowd the page with too many images or graphical elements. This strategy can make your website seem cluttered and hard to navigate, frustrating visitors and making them feel less inclined to explore your site. Instead, try using simple graphics, such as illustrations or photos of people, rather than more complex images that might distract from the message.
7. Remember That Symmetry Promotes Balance
When designing a minimalistic layout, ensure all elements have equal weight. A minimalist website with an asymmetrical structure can seem chaotic and look unfinished.
Instead, use symmetry and balance between the elements to help create a more appealing site that doesn't feel disjointed and unbalanced.
8. Hide Your Navigation but Make It Intuitive
Minimalist websites often hide navigation and other elements to give users more screen space. This approach leaves the visitor to explore the site freely rather than giving them signposts that point out where they are on the page and what's available to read or do.
Make sure you still provide visitors with an easy way to navigate around your website and find what they want.
9. Always Include a Clear Call-to-Action
Avoid cluttering the site with too many marketing messages, as this can make it feel confusing and overwhelming for visitors. Instead, focus on what visitors will get from using your site and indicate with a clear CTA how they can accomplish this.
Examples of Minimalist Website Design
Minimalistic styles in web design include flat design, minimal front end, and simplistic UI. It focuses solely on the simplicity of the type, colour scheme, images, and layout.
A minimalist web design might use a simple colour scheme with a limited number of colours and a focus on neutral tones. It might also use clean fonts and avoid the use of unnecessary decorative elements.
A minimalist design typically has fewer elements, such as fewer buttons, forms, and sections, this allows the user to focus on the most important elements of the website.There are often minimal graphics used, such as simple line drawings or icons.
Still feeling lost? Here are two examples of minimalist website design done well:
1. TheMinimalists
TheMinimalists.com is an excellent example of a minimalist website design. It relies heavily on typography, photography, and white space to create an elegant and straightforward interface that's easy to use.
Image source: TheMinimalists.com
1. ON
ON demonstrates how to use white space effectively and create a clean, inviting design. The uncluttered layout makes it easy for users to browse through the content and find what they're looking for.
Image source: ON
Final Thoughts
The key to creating a minimalist website is to keep it simple and avoid overloading it with too much content. By implementing these simple and effective minimalist design tips, the designer can create a clean and visually engaging experience for their visitors.
