“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage – to move in the opposite direction.”
This quote is attributed to a gentleman by the name of Ernst Schumacher, an influential thinker, economist and author of ‘Small Is Beautiful: a study of economics as if people mattered’. The Times listed it among the 100 most influential books published since World War II.
Ernst was mostly talking about financial systems but the quote should resonate with a lot of designers and UX people. Often the simplest designs – created with the fewest elements – can provide the largest bang for your buck. Of course, we are talking about minimalism.
As the well-worn maxim goes, “less is more” and no matter if you’re designing for mobile or gigantic retina monitors there are some effective tips and tricks, dos and don’ts that will help you get the most out of the little bits you’re using.
Wireframe Usage
There are really no hard and fast rules with minimalism aside from downsizing your content but one of the most effective steps you can take to achieve the minimal effect in your work actually happens before you start throwing down all of your elements. This is the step of using a wireframe.
It is a lot easier to start with a blueprint than going in swinging when it comes to scaling back and down. The great thing about this process is it can be done anytime, anywhere and on anything, unless of course you’re trying to write on someone’s walls then I amend my previous statement.
While you may already know the power of prototyping you must understand that with minimalism your sketch requires more attention to detail. Because you are going for a specific style it is important to understand the function of each and every element you place down. One thing that should be at the top of your consideration list while in this phase is your layout. Unique, non-traditional setups have chances of rendering a stunning design when you start subtracting your elements.
DO for Web
Go for modular, column and hierarchical layouts as this will yield you a better flow to your final look. Remember that manuscript grids or box looks in minimal design, while still effective in its own right, can have your design looking flat and boring.
DO for Mobile
Use an online wireframe tool for better planning. This will allow you to avoid layout issues if you go ahead and plan for each specific mobile device instead of working from paper to digital only to find out your minimal look isn’t exactly minimal.
DON’T for Web and Mobile
Never go into the wireframing stage without a list of the content that you need to have in the final design and don’t forget to experiment with more than one layout.
Refine & Simplify (or simplify until it breaks)
They say “You break it, you buy it” but if your site is on the brink of breaking then it's likely you’ve just nailed the best minimalistic look your design could yield. That, or you are seriously into a punk rock ethos and just like breaking stuff.
When you are designing you need to make sure that everything has a purpose. If you can’t find a reason why a certain item is there then you need to get rid of it. With minimalism designing it really is okay to start big and scale down. In fact it is a lot easier than starting with absolutely nothing.
Think of the removal stage as some good old fashion spring cleaning. Look at everything as a whole and then start throwing those fifteen plus pillows out the window, you really don’t need all of them and your design is going to reflect that. Essentially the key here is to dial back as much as you can. If you’re not sure if you have “broken” your design you simply need to run some functionality tests and see if your design’s meaning is still in tact.
DOs for Web
Create purpose within your design. Remember that a minimal website design isn’t about dumbing down your site’s content. It is about reducing unnecessary content so visitors can get to the good parts without missing anything.
DOs for Mobile
Due to the nature of mobile devices, smaller screens, you want to make sure that the spacing between your elements doesn’t look like you’ve just deleted something and forgot to place something there. You’re simplifying to create a clear eye path, not to show gaps.
DON’Ts for Web and Mobile
Never remove so much that your design doesn't have a focal point anymore. When you are simplifying there should always be a “look at me” element. This will allow you to design AROUND the focal point instead of designing FOR it.
Continue reading %Making Minimalism Work in Mobile and Web%
by Gabrielle Gosha via SitePoint
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