: What is minimalism in graphic design? What is minimalism in graphic design and how can one apply this concept to a design? I keep seeing the term minimalist design while reading graphic-related

@Moriarity648

To put it simply (and somewhat bluntly), minimalistic design means design using only few shapes, components and objects. Basically, design without many frills, details and unneccesary decorations.

The idea behind this, is what koiyu's picture visualises and describes fairly well (though not completely). Less isn't always more, but a minimalistic design emphasises the few things you do see. Simple yet pretty.

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@LarsenBagley460

Dribbble is a good place to seek inspriation and many of the "dribbbles" exhibit minimalism. I find it's a very common design method amongst graphic designers these days.

Some examples from Dribbble:

J Is For Jet



Winwood



Blue Round Player



Lost

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@Voss6371140

It's important to know that Minimalism is a thought process instead of an end look. If you design with the goal is make it more "minimalist," chances are you're doing it wrong. The thought process involves creating elements that are absolutely necessary without adding anymore value-less clutter.

One of my favorite quotes:


“Perfection is achieved, not when
there is nothing more to add, but when
there is nothing left to take away.” -
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry


As with all design styles, Minimalism isn't always the best solution. As designers, it's up to us to decide to use the best style for the purpose of specific designs.

Often, "less" isn't "more."

From an essay titled Ten Things I Have Learned by Milton Glaser, he writes:


LESS IS NOT NECESSARILY MORE. Being a
child of modernism I have heard this
mantra all my life. Less is more. One
morning upon awakening I realised that
it was total nonsense, it is an absurd
proposition and also fairly
meaningless. But it sounds great
because it contains within it a
paradox that is resistant to
understanding. But it simply does not
obtain when you think about the visual
of the history of the world. If you
look at a Persian rug, you cannot say
that less is more because you realise
that every part of that rug, every
change of colour, every shift in form
is absolutely essential for its
aesthetic success. You cannot prove to
me that a solid blue rug is in any way
superior. That also goes for the work
of Gaudi, Persian miniatures, art
nouveau and everything else. However,
I have an alternative to the
proposition that I believe is more
appropriate. ‘Just enough is more.’

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@Hamaas979

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@Speyer780

I found this showcase from Smashing Magazine to be very informative:
www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/05/13/principles-of-minimalist-web-design-with-examples/

Minimalism is achieved by reducing a design to only the most essential elements. [...] Essentially, minimalism is about breaking things down to the barest elements necessary for a design to function. It’s about taking things away until nothing else can be removed without interfering with the purpose of the design.

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@Goswami567

It means having a purpose and a plan. If anything doesn't help achieve the purpose, it doesn't make the cut. If it doesn't fall within the parameters of the plan, it gets axed. See also: The definition of busy design for what it's not.

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@LarsenBagley460

ie. Strip down to the necessary elements. Throw away noise and clutter. Create a zen-like experience. Ask: "Is this necessary?" It is hard to give other rules or principles since they can be successfully broken and minimalism maintained. If I had to describe minimalism with one word, it could be breathable or an antonym for chaos.

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