Following years of complex, detail-oriented web design, the industry has started to shift towards a more simplistic approach. This practice, called minimalist web design, scales back the entire process. It uses minimalism to create more meaningful engagement with users. Here’s a bit more on what exactly it entails, and how it works.
A Beginner’s Guide to Minimalist Web Design
Minimalist web design is heavily inspired by geometric abstractions associated with the Bauhaus movement and Zen philosophy in Japanese culture. In fact, this trend is in stark contrast to the flash animations and cluttered pages of the early 2000s.
This new “less is more” method exudes simplicity with bare bones designs that highlight only the essential elements. In terms of web design, this usually means taking away anything that might distract from the focus of a webpage.
By concentrating on what’s necessary and excluding extraneous details, designers can create a more encompassing user interface.
The Characteristics of Minimalist Web Design
Modern and intentional, minimalist websites strip down the overall design to show the user exactly what they’re looking for. A few of the most common features of minimalist websites include (but are not limited to):
- Negative space
- Simplified navigation
- Contrast
- White space
- Dramatic typography
- Basic color schemes
Why Businesses Utilize Minimalist Web Design
Guiding Users
The biggest benefit of minimalist web design is the ability to guide users where you want them to go.
Over-cluttered websites often confuse people. Instead of funneling them to the right info or resources, users are left to find things themselves. Sometimes when this happens, users won’t find what they’re looking for. Then, they navigate away from your website entirely.
By strategically placing content and using ample white space, you can gently nudge users to a desired location. Usually, this helps businesses connect with their audiences and attract leads.
Better SEO
It may not be immediately clear, but minimalist websites usually have faster load times on average. Besides the obvious advantage of speed, this can also help websites become more SEO friendly. The quick load times help search engines crawl your site more easily, which can enhance its overall search ranking.
Just look at successful company websites like Google, AirBnB and Apple. They all use minimalist web design and can be firmly found at the tops of their respective industries’ search results pages.
However, that doesn’t mean this kind of design is always right for your business. It boils down to your brand, and what’s going to best enhance your brand image. Once that’s decided, you can take it from there and decide if minimalism can help you succeed.
