Minimalism Isn’t the Alpha and Omega of Design
By Joshua on August 04 2010
I’m tired of web designers equating minimalism and good design.
I suppose the final straw was when I saw Dmitry at Usability Post say this:
[Minimalism is] a trend in design where the subject is “reduced to its necessary elements”? As opposed to a design where unnecessary elements are added or kept? Isn’t the removal of the unnecessary a definition of what “good” design is? Design is communication. Design is what allows us to interact with our products and make them work. Good design makes this interaction easy. Naturally, good design also tends to simplify, unclutter and organize.
But in point of fact, this notion of reducing a subject to its “necessary” elements isn’t a universal principle of design. It’s a principle of modernist design.
Now, I have no problem with designers choosing to work in a modernist style. On the web, it is often the safest choice, as it reduces the number of elements which need to be successfully managed. But saying that minimalism equals good design overlooks entire periods of design history.
A Historical Survey
With that in mind, here is a quick look at some important design movements that are in marked contrasted to the modernist principles.
Baroque
Ceiling of the baroque chapel Sainte-Marie-d’en-Haut
Rococo
Juste-Aurele Meissonnier engraved design for a side table
Arts & Crafts Movement
The first page of "The Nature of Gothic"
Art Noveau
.jpg){kind=link}
Art Nouveau company sign of Moninger Brewery
It’s only one style
Yes, modernism is far-reaching and influential, but at the end of the day it is still just one style among many. And it is the designer’s job to figure out what style is most appropriate to the task at hand, even if that means including “unnecessary elements.”
Phrases like “Simplicity isn’t a design trend, it’s an attribute of good design,” are pithy, but unless qualified a bit, they just foster the pretensions of self-appointed design experts.
What our readers said