Minimalism Historically
Minimalism is one of the most popular design trends of the past decade. Many associate it with a certain lifestyle, a pared down set of belongings, a certain décor and object aesthetic. When talking about the current era of minimalism, words like ‘capsule wardrobe’, ‘decluttering’, and ‘anti-capitalism’ are often thrown around, and it is because of the novelty of such language that we often forget minimalism is not a new movement, it is one of the oldest ones.
Originally, it came about as a countermovement to the lavish 20th century lifestyle. The post-WWI aesthetic uncovers various cultural influences, such as the Bauhaus function-to-form movement, as well as the Japanese and Scandinavian aesthetics, which prioritize intentionality in the choice of raw materials, and cleanness when it comes to design palettes and shapes.
The oldest era of minimalism is the Mid-Century era. It bears influences from the infamous Art Deco style, which, though lavish, spread the idea of visual cleanliness through simple, geometric, and organic shapes, as well as high functionality, hinting at the very first ideas of intentionality and timelessness in design. The Mid-Century era was further fueled by the school of Bauhaus. It taught designers and engineers the amalgamation of craft, design, and technology, which played a huge role in minimizing objects and spaces. Bauhaus remains a staple in the art of designing for functionality in a visually pleasing way.
A prominent cultural influence on the ‘less is more’ movement is the Japanese school of design. More than function, Japanese craft teaches the ideals of minimalism. An important one is the concept of ‘Ma’ (‘space’ from Japanese), which is the first ideation to highlight the currently wildly famous ‘negatives space’. It promotes the creation of room to breathe and appreciate each single object in a certain space. Japanese tradition is known for its respect, which reflects on people’s attitude towards fellow humans, nature and unanimous objects alike. This frame of mind gives way to design, which integrates the natural environment within design in the form of warm woods, indoor-outdoor landscaping, and engineering with light and texture in mind.
When it comes to the Contemporary age of minimalism, however, undoubtedly the biggest influence falls on Swiss and Scandinavian design. Their intentionality, environmentalism, and seamless integration of technology within art blend effortlessly with personalization, while the high utility, warm materials and unified architecture make for a visibly intentional and cohesive design.
Unlikely influences on contemporary minimalism, British artist and sculptor Barbara Hepworth and art collector Jim Ede have created homes, which now serve as a contemporary representation of British minimalist design. Hepworth’s home in St. Ives, and Ede’s house, Kettle’s Yard, in Cambridge are both an example of how weight in design could be equally carried by wall art and the interior textures. Similarly to the Japanese, both artists had an affinity to create a minimal space to reflect ‘the personality of its owner’, owing much of the end effect to natural lighting. In the words of Jim Ede, it is often the ‘light that furnished the space’.
Minimalism today
Similarly to Ede’s design concept, many current businesses opt for a clear, negative space to dominate their marketing, leaving room for the product to speak for itself. This is visible in the branding of both Nike and Apple, as well as Starbucks, who utilize visual simplification and graphic design that rings more universal and timeless through high contrast, slender lettering and abundant spacing between lines.
This approach, paired with neutral color palettes and a singular pop, as well as visual hierarchy, make both branding more striking, and navigation around the company’s webspace less distracting. Prominent examples of this same approach are also Google and Microsoft, who utilize font size, negative space, and toned-down palettes as tools to grab attention and point it towards a desired product or function.
A similar tendency is leading in industrial design, where minimalism embodies an item’s core purpose without integrating unnecessary features. An outstanding example, the Swiss Army knife, accommodates a plethora of essential tools, combined in a compact design, resulting in an efficient, as well as intuitive product.
Why is minimalism so popular
With the advancement of technology, minimalism is not just the preferred, but, in a way, also the most logical stylistic movement to execute when it comes to design. Elevated hardware and software systems equip designers with the tools to achieve perfect symmetry and execute virtual prototypes to perfection. Thus, distilling design in the concept phase is made easier than ever, with engineers stripping down unnecessary embellishments in favor of purposeful design and clear messaging.
Another reason why many creatives choose to opt for a minimalist approach is connected to consumers’ wellbeing. ‘Spaces that have got too much stuff in them make me feel physically uncomfortable,” points out architect William Smalley. “I find it visually and physically intrusive.”
Rose Uniacke, also a prominent British architect, seconds Smalley’s view on design, adding that there is an imminent impact of the ‘generous wasted space’ when it comes to interior design, as it nurses the feeling of happiness and clears the thought process.
In technology, the principle of negative space manifests itself in clear and hierarchical typography, unibody hardware shapes and uncluttered visual identity. With 18.3% market share, Apple is a prime example of the success of this strategy.
Most importantly, minimalism in design aligns with current lifestyle aspirations in that it boosts productivity, eliminates stress, and puts emphasis on sustainability and experiences before overconsumption.
What are the challenges of minimalist design
Balancing information hierarchically, ensuring the right amount of negative space, and creating visual impact, however, are all not easy to achieve. Many say a designer should be a maximalist first before graduating to becoming a minimalist, as the ‘less is more’ approach requites a certain level of restraint and a reductive mindset, which only come with experience.
Colors, shapes, and textures, for instance, should be consistently combined in both a simplified and harmonious way, while scale and text play an even bigger role in the visual impact of the final piece. Moreover, the selection of high-quality materials is crucial, ensuring durability, timelessness, and as little environmental impact as possible.
When it comes to product creation, designers are requited to have excellent material-color coordination, as well as advanced construction skills to achieve the perfect symbiosis of form and function. An item, created in such conditions, favorably combining high-quality materials, and advanced engineering skills, is the Leica M10-P digital camera, which is made of magnesium alloy and leather, and boasts with impressive technical specifications, all coming together to elevate both its longevity and its perceived value.
This perfect storm is described by French architect, Guillaume Alan, as ‘simple, linked together to create as clear a picture as a paining.’ He then goes on to highlight the key pillars of minimalism in design: ‘impeccable proportions and precision should be an obsession’.
What are the cons of minimalist design
It is known that reductive design requires a lot of skill from its executors. This is a big setback for new designers with fresh mindsets, who haven’t yet encountered their experimental phase. Focusing on minimalism too early could, therefore, be an obstacle to creativity and, when implemented incorrectly, clean lines, pared down color schemes and reductionism could come off as too plain, dull, harsh or sterile.
Another obstacle in the way of good design is unrealistic minimalism. Many types of simplistic interior design executions, for instance, don’t accommodate sentimental items like heirlooms and leftover furniture, thus stripping the space off the owner’s history and personality. Such interiors could also be difficult to sustain, especially when kids or pets inhabit the space.
The same rings true when it comes to branding. There is the danger of chasing minimalism to the point of sacrificing the essence of a company, making it difficult to read into the ethos of a brand or into its philosophy, for that matter. In a 2017 Vox article, Eliza Brooke refers to this phenomenon as the ‘startup minimalism’, which homogenizes creative and tech companies alike. Warner Brothers, Pinterest, and Uber, for example, have all adopted the same marketing strategy, although they are inherently different companies with incrementally dissimilar values and goals.
The same could be said about most modern-day architecture. Though unnecessary, exterior embellishments speak for the character of a city. When stripped down to a glass-concrete skyrise, buildings make up for a monotonous landscape, precluding the differentiation of one big city from the next.
Like in the case of many coffee shops and luxury clothing stores, when overdone, minimalism is in danger of losing its previous appeal as luxuriously inconspicuous and acquiring a certain 2020s generic aesthetic.
Another problem with minimalist design reveals itself when it comes to user friendliness. With the 2010s onset of the new wave of minimalism, the tendency has emerged to recreate the Bauhaus aesthetic in contemporary product design. This approach to minimalism results in Dieter Rams-esque products that are uniquely beautiful but rather difficult to use. An example of this are the newer iPhones and MacBook Pro, which, although sleek-looking and extra thin, are made more complex to use due to the lack of headphone jacks and USB ports.
The biggest discrepancy in contemporary minimalism, however, is that refined aesthetic could be difficult to sustain for individuals with lower income. Many of the minimalist counterparts to modern design objects, like the iPhone, are financially out of reach for many of its potential consumers. And while minimalist design is currently a privilege, the question should be posed of how inclusive minimalism wants to be.
Why is minimalism needed in today’s design
While some minimalist products foster exclusivity, there is a lot about reductive design that can generate financial savings. Although the world spins around consumerism, the ‘less is more’ movement promotes slower and more intentional spending. It renders instant gratification useless, proving its negative effect on consumers’ homes and bank accounts. This intentionality, in turn, places quality over quantity, allowing fashion lovers to slowly cultivate and curate their wardrobes, and interior designers to incorporate new pieces in their homes more deliberately.
The slow pace of minimal design further emboldens innovations, geared towards sustainability. This way, through careful selection of materials and construction techniques, many products and spaces have the chance to become both more efficient and environmentally friendly.
That said, the main reason to choose minimalism for both designers and consumers alike, is their goal to reduce stress. Similarly to the 1920s, the 2010s have evoked a need for more space and less distraction. In an everyday, increasingly filled with clutter and distraction, content overload, and shortened attention span, the mind needs the deep concentration, tranquility and mental clarity that comes with minimalism’s negative space.
Resources:
https://www.kaikodesign.com.au/articles/the-journey-to-simplicity-the-evolution-of-minimalist-design
https://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/article/minimalist-interiors