When little does not mean bad. Minimalism in web design
When little does not mean bad. Minimalism in web design.
Today a person has too much of everything: things, people around, information. Not surprisingly, we are already tired of this. In contrast to the values of the consumer society, the ideals of minimalism arose. They are gradually conquering the world, penetrating into all spheres of life, including the online space. In this article, we will tell you about what features minimalism in web design is, what advantages it brings to the user and the owner of the site, and also show our own examples of work that meet the principles of simplicity and brevity.
Some phenomena are better seen in contrast. So it is with minimalism. Imagine that you went to the site and saw a lot of bright pictures, several menu tabs, somewhere at the top of the link "About the company" and "Contact information", perhaps somewhere there is also an "Order" button. And, of course, an advertising banner periodically pops up from the side. Such a site may well be beautiful, but unnecessary information still spoils the impression, and it is not always possible to immediately navigate where everything is.
And with a minimalist design, you will see fewer pictures and text, but it will be the most "salt", the main thing that you need to know. Finding what you need (product, service, information) will definitely be easier here. And when it comes to brightness and beauty, the examples below prove that a minimal website can be quite addictive!
What are the features of minimalism?
Simplicity
No unnecessary details. Nothing distracts the eye. The emphasis is on the most important thing.
For example, an art gallery site. If their goal was to attract visitors to the current exhibition, then most likely they have achieved it. Because there is everything you need: fragments of works, names of authors, dates.
A lot of "air"
The more empty (or, as the designers say, negative) space around the object, the more attention it attracts. And thus, the more impact it has on the user.
Limited color palette
It can be a classic combination of black and white (see photo above), monochrome colors (different shades of the same color), but bright colors can also be used. At the same time, as a rule, the colors are pure, gradients are not suitable here. An important point is the contrast of colors to each other. A white background is often used, against which any images and colors are contrasting.
One photo, but carefully selected
The previous pictures already illustrate this feature. The principle of operation is simple: if there is only one photo on the page, then it should definitely be outstanding, should attract the eye, give rise to emotion and even involve the user in a dialogue.
In this website of an interior designer, the photo takes up the entire first screen. The case when “it is better to see once than to read 100 words”.
Features of typography
As a rule, sans-serif fonts are used - laconic, like the minimalism style itself. Large headings are encouraged, which convey the essence of the subject in 2-3 words. The text blocks are small, they contain only the necessary information.
Our minimalist websites
From the examples above, one might get the impression that this style is far from everyday reality. But here are some minimalist sites created by the SoftExpert web studio.
The website of the Coffit coffee chain is http://www.coffit.spb.ru/. The site is dominated by two colors: white and brown (the latter is in several shades). The photographs made in the same style are contrasted against the white background. Getting to this site, you don't even think about delicious coffee, but about the atmosphere of warmth, comfort and relaxation that reigns in coffee houses. It is due to the minimalist design that such an effect is achieved.
Minimalism is a universal style that suits organizations that are not alike at all. Why it happens? Because the main principle here is to focus on one idea (product, service) and discard all unnecessary. And the idea can be any. If in the case of a coffee shop it was important to emphasize coziness, then this site of an industrial enterprise https://gipromash.ru/ (at least its first screen) demonstrates the accuracy with which the products are made and their high quality.
And we made this landing page http://digital.sfx-tula.ru/#about for ourselves. The first screen seems to hint that "Internet advertising for a successful business" takes it to a very high, almost cosmic level (by the way, if you go to the site, you can see that the "constellations" are moving).
And one more landing page of the SoftExpert group of companies http://dev.sfx-tula.ru/, also distinguished by its minimalism. Blue and gray here are glowing digital worlds that can be created at the will of the customer and developer. This meager color scheme also serves as a marketing function, directing the visitor's attention to the most important and evoking emotions.
Why is a minimalist website good for the user?
- The eye rests on minimalistic sites (in the literal sense - try again to review the pictures above). The user experiences less stress, perceives information faster and easier.
- It follows from the first - simple site navigation. No need to get used to the interface, look for an action button or a directory section.
- The site is not so "heavy", which means that it loads faster, for which it will also receive a "bonus" from the user.
What are the business benefits?
Now let's look at the above advantages from the point of view of the company whose site he visited. So the user:
- gets pleasant emotions and latently forms a positive opinion about the brand.
- quickly finds everything, which means that it is less likely that he will leave the site before taking the targeted action.
- stays on the site as all pages load quickly.
For some, the word “minimalism” scares: how can it be, it will not be possible to immediately tell the client about all the benefits! In general, yes, about all - definitely not. But you will be able to convey to him exactly the message that he is waiting for, amaze him with a beautiful photo and then, without obstacles, lead him along the path that you have prepared for him. So - do not be afraid to be laconic and speak to the point, clients will appreciate it!