When it comes to design and graphics, trends can be quite important. It is critical for designers and business owners to be aware of visual elements such as fonts, colors or shapes that would look appealing in the present time. Minimalism is one design trend that has been dominant in the industry for quite some time now and is commonly seen in logos and websites today.
In the past two decades, a number of brands have been quick to pick up on it and use minimalist elements to gain an edge with their graphics. Companies such as Apple, Facebook and Uber have all opted for monochromatic or two-color schemes, icons and bold typography in their brand identity designs.
Despite the success and popularity, the question remains whether minimalism is here to stay or not. Well, the answer to that has been debated by a lot of designers over time and so far the trend seems to be going strong. Let’s take a look at what we know about minimalism in graphic design up till now.
Why Minimalism Is Here to Stay
If you think about it, the less is more strategy may seem like something that people started following in the past decade. However, the design movement actually began during the 1960s and quickly became popular due to its visual appeal. In graphic design, you could say that the use of minimalistic colors, symbols and white space is fairly recent.
Over a short span of time, minimalism has made quite a strong impact and become one of the most preferred trends by designers. As more businesses and brands shift towards simplistic designs for their logos and websites, it can be assumed that the style will be seen in the near future too.
Basically, with the progress of technology, rise in e-commerce and smartphone users, minimalism has been given a further boost. Look at it this way. Brand symbols with a lot of different elements and colors can be overwhelming or confusing on mobile and computer screens as well. Similarly, a clean user interface is easy to navigate and can tell you exactly what you want to know about a brand and its product or services.
Minimalism in design can make it easier for people to search for their desired items and become familiar with the various businesses as well. A minimalist logo with a simple graphic, a lettermark, wordmark or clear-cut icon can be memorized quickly and recalled later on as well. If you focus on coming up with a strong and simple brand identity design, you might have a higher chance of it becoming recognizable too.
Take the example of Nike’s swoosh here. One of the biggest reasons for its success is the simple design that manages to convey the core values of success, power and inspiration on its own. The company did not use any additional imagery, shapes or colors to tell the audience what it stands for.
Now, this logo has been around for quite some time now and has not gone through any big changes as yet. Even after more than 40 years, the brand symbol of the sportswear company is relevant and can catch the eye instantly on print and digital mediums.
While this is just one case, there are quite a few others reasons why businesses are increasingly adopting the trend.
- Simplicity is Attractive
One of the biggest reasons why minimalism works is its power to convey more with very few elements or words. When there are less images, shapes or letters to focus upon, it becomes easier for consumers to figure out the brand’s message and purpose. Minimalist design also promotes transparency and trust in a business which can convince people to buy its products or services.
According to a report, around 86 percent of people consider authenticity a critical factor in their decision-making process.
- It Encourages Consistency
It can be easier to maintain consistency with minimalist designs as there is a reduced chance of error with design elements. So you do not have make dramatic changes to your branding elements for various platforms and can stick to the same fonts, typography and shapes or icons. This can help you with a come with a consistent marketing and branding strategy using digital channels or traditional methods.
- Easily Scalable
If you consider your logo in particular, you have to make sure that it is scalable and doesn’t lose its appeal on business cards, brochures or website headers. By keeping with the trend of minimalism, you will most likely avoid this situation and come with a design that appears meaningful everywhere.
In the end, it wouldn’t be wrong to observe that minimalism is one trend that will be continue to hold its strong position in the world of design. If things are to change and we could see elaborate designs becoming common again, the timeless appeal of minimalist logos and website is going to remain.
To Sum Up
Given everything, it wouldn’t be wrong to assume that minimalism is here to stay. The trend which began in the 20th century has made its way to the next one and become quite prominent as well. While some people will argue that minimalism is losing appeal, the rise of the trend in modern logos and web designs prove its popularity.
