How To Approach Minimalist Web Design Without Ending Up With A Basic Site

May 20, 2021

You may already know minimalism as a trendy design scheme, but it isn’t a very specific aesthetic. Minimalist web design can go in many directions so long as the designer follows a set of guidelines and principles. While some graphic and web designers see minimalist design as more straightforward than other styles, it isn’t necessarily easier. Minimalism is a balancing act between form and function!

If a web designer doesn’t match a minimalist look with usability, the final site won’t help a small business achieve its SEO and conversion goals. Here’s how to approach a minimalist web design without ending up with a basic site!

“Less Is More” Is More Complicated Than It Sounds!

Have you ever heard of Hick’s Law? It says that the more choices you present a person with, the more time they will take to decide. Minimalism is a web design philosophy that tries to respond to Hick’s Law. It focuses on creating compelling designs that have less going on so that the site optimizes decision-making.

Minimalist design will make what is going on front and center, with every choice the web designer makes on display for all visitors to see. While the elements you choose will get noticed, so will the mistakes. You must select all the pictures, texts, and responsive designs carefully. Everything has to have a purpose, and the choices behind this purpose can take a lot of consideration.

Understand Negative Space

One necessary element of a well-designed minimalist website is the proper use of negative space. It’s as much about what isn’t there as what is there. Negative or white space is the empty or open space around design and content elements. When you use them the right way, negative spaces give your site more definition; use it the wrong way, and the website will look empty.

By arranging negative space wisely, users can see the core elements of the interface in a more purposeful way. This helps make the journey from visit to conversion more easy!

Choose Designs And Stick With Them

Minimalism doesn’t mean using as few elements as possible. You can choose your designs carefully to make what is there stand out and attract attention.

Uniform Colour Palettes: With all the negative space, you need the right colours! Many minimalist designers limit their colours to a monochromatic palette to strengthen the choices and not distract users with too many variations.
Striking Typography: Your fonts and typefaces can set the tone of your site and create dazzling visuals. Like other parts of minimalism, balancing style with readability means taking a lot of choices into consideration.
Typographic Hierarchy: Typographic hierarchy is crucial for differentiating the types of content when few other design elements are there for assistance. Your visitors should understand the headings, body, and how they can navigate the site at first glance; a good hierarchy helps without the user even reading all the content!
Flat Visual Details: Not flat as in boring, flat as in two-dimensional! Flat images and elements don’t use shadows, gradients, highlights or textures to create objects that look clean and at-home next in as many resolutions as possible.

When a minimalist website focuses on functionality and simplicity, it won’t overload attention with many different elements, details, colours and motions. They let users solve their problems and navigate through the website or app.

Remember, when it comes to web design: