Style minimalism in modern web design and its basic principles. Minimalism style in modern web design and its basic principles cutting functions and interface elements

(including flat design, the use of large background pictures as well as hidden global navigation) directly or indirectly dictated by minimalism, the flow in web design from the beginning of the 2000s. The design of the site in style minimalism often represent as an attempt to make content a more important part of the design than, for example, color. In fact, it helps to simplify the achievement of the user's goals when working with the site.

Unfortunately, some designers do not exactly interpret the essence of the style of minimalism. In the work, they do not take into account or get rid of the important elements of this style, simplifying their work, and complicating the interaction of the user with the site.

In order to better understand and apply the principles of minimalism, we must understand the origins of this style and its main characteristics.

What ?

In the simplest understanding, the goal of minimalism in web design is a content representation in the simplest and "direct" form for the user. This style often includes the exclusion of a part of the content or functions that do not meet the main tasks of the interface.

Although there are still different opinions about what exactly qualifies web design as a minimalist style. There are several traits that exactly define the style of the site as minimalist. These include flat textures, limited by the number of colors used patterns, as well as the use of empty space.

Characteristic minimalism

Flat patterns and textures. Used in 96% of sites whose web design can be attributed to minimalism. Over the past few years, there has been a huge shift in design from the skiorphism towards purely digital presentations of things without physical metaphor. Flat interfaces do not use highlights, shadows, gradients. In a word, all those tools that make the glossy or three-dimensional interface. Some designers believe that Flat Design Trend has grown due to the popularity of the minimalist UI in design. These two trends (minimalism and flat design) are extremely compatible. Both are bypass without using shadows, gradients and volumetric textures for the sake of simplifying design, eliminate unnecessary elements.

Flat and minimalism are so similar that sometimes they are mistakenly issued for one style. Flat (Flat) style as a whole relates to textures, icons or graphs in the interface. Minimalism works with content, its layout. Web design can be performed in a flat style, but not to be minimalistic.

Limited in the number of colors or monochrome palette. Presented in 95% of examples of interfaces. In most minimalist interfaces, color is used strategically to create a visual interest or direction of user's attention without creating additional elements or graphics.

Minimalistic color palettes are a step away from bright colors of popular in web design in the 2000s. In addition, there are many excellent sites using only one color in the palette as an accent in order to allocate important elements in content. These accented elements are usually interactive.

There are several considerations that need to be considered when using a limited number of colors in the palette:

• Make sure the color scheme is quite contrast to perceive people with poor eyesight;
• Use accent colors intentionally and sequentially to allocate very important information.

Limited number of elements. Used in 87% of the considered sites. Specialists who make the design of the site in the minimalism style must determine the expediency of using each element in the interface. In case any element has specific task In design, it needs to get rid of it. This is one of the main difficulties of this style. It is often difficult to determine how one or another element is needed in design. The more items contain design, the more information users need to understand when interacting with the site.

That's where the designer can move away from the canons of minimalism and stop getting rid of the "useful" content.

Maximum amount of empty space. 84% of sites use it tactics. Deleting or eliminating elements from a web page necessarily leaves empty space. Many designers use this space for the "direction" of users' attention to important elements.

Using "dramatic" typography. It is found in 75% of cases. Like color, fat or large font has become another communication tool. Effectively used typography can compensate for the absence of other elements (photos, graphics) and make minimalistic design more visually attractive.

Using text images may allow you to use non-standard fontsBut it will increase the site download time. At the same time, it is necessary to remember that the use of non-standard fonts is justified only if the text transmits important and meaningful information.

Conclusion

The web design of the interface of the 2000s was predominantly chaotic and overwhelming, which poorly affects the UX / UI.

The design of the site in the style of minimalism eliminates the user from the overload of the interface and allows you to achieve the best indicators of the interactivity of the site. As Flat Design is a reaction to a skeyorphism, minimalism is a reaction to maximalism in web design. In both cases, it is recommended to follow the balance.

Minimalistic web design samples look good. With regard to web design, the main advantage of minimalism is the diversity of permissible stylistic, color solutions, scale options, but the target is always pursued one. Minimalism, as a web site design style, has gained popularity due to its explicit advantages. Minimalistic websites are loaded faster, distracting less server resources, and modernize them, as a rule, is easier than bulky graphic buildings. Visitors also see them signs of professionalism and ability to adhere to the essence.

Minimalism did the focus on the refusal of design from all over, retaining only the main elements. The flourishing of minimalism overlooking new terms, narrow specializations, was reflected in art - in music and literature. However, website designers mastering the receptions of minimalistic resource resources is not easy, many such a task scares. A minimalistic sample of web design contains the content exceptionally necessary to achieve the intended purpose of the target, differs upholstery of spaces, a small amount of illustrations or the presence of a single major image, short text. Minimalistic websites are not cluttered with details, the study and learning of information is given to their readers easily, does not bother, on their pages just navigate, few people will be able to get lost there. Most often, minimalistic websites look beautifully, and among the designers they have gained particularly gentle affection.

Before you, 15 samples of minimalist web design, although containing a number of "architectural excesses", but pleased with their views. We hope they will come to your heart.

And in TurboBlog guest post. This time we are pleased to offer you a material prepared Yulia Soltsema - Our freelance author. In his first article, for our blog, Julia shared his own vision of minimalist web design, and also reinforced it with convincing examples. However, it is better to see once than hear about it a couple of times.

Today, the market of commercial art is increasingly drawn by the desire to minimalize the form of information feeding. And this trend is not something new. This is a logical consequence of the development and change of stages in art. Once, in the 60s, minimalism for the first time declared itself as a separate direction of art. His appearance is a protest, the reaction to the absolute celebration of expressionism at the time, and especially its extended form - abstract expressionism.

Modern world is experiencing different stages of development of Internet technologies. Caught era Web 1.0 - the whole set of what was and from which the Internet was consistent before the advent of Web 2.0 technologies, participants and direct creators we are all with you.

Recently, researchers in the development of Internet technologies led by Jason McCabe Calacanis., Netscape.com leader, prophesy to us the offensive of a new era - Web 3.0, the specificity of which, besides that the Internet will become more oriented socially, they could not formulate. Cround the growing popularity of minimalism, or as it is also called - ABC arts, in Modern web design is impossible, without considering the specifics of each stage of Web technology and visualizing its design.

The first stage of design development in the Ere Web 1.0. were peculiar:

• difficult color, mainly from the web Safe palette;
• omnipresent yellow color;
• incredibly annoying contrast, for example, white on blue or red on black;
• picture instead of the background and, as a result, complete definition of text;
• the lack of a clear structure of the modular grid, and in particularly severe cases - and the modular mesh itself.

Here's how the sites of famous companies looked in the 90s:







Designers knew and loved only one font - Comic Sans.It should be remembered that the design developed in parallel with Internet technologies. I have nowhere to designers and have no one to learn - they were pioneers.

Then, at the turn of the 90s and 2000, the development of design and graphics led to the race of creativity. Designers, in a literally a couple of years ago, tried to keep the visitor's attention to visual bars in every way, be impressive flash or realistic 3D. Abstract forms and non-standard interface - all this, of course, attracted the attention of the user, but at the same time distract it from the content of the site, and therefore most sites did not fulfill their primary function - informing. As a result, today the Internet is oversaturated with a template creative, which made many sites of the same type.

The truth is said: Nowadays, to be different, you need to be simple. And minimalism to some extent meets these requirements. Like sometime in painting, minimalism Today in Web Design is an attempt to pull out content from information noise., expand the accents, form a clear scheme of perception. A bright design is able to keep the attention of the visitor, minimalist - to send it to the right direction.

The basic principles of thinking in the style of minimal:

• refusal to subjectivity of perception;
• refusal of symbolism and metaphorical forms;
• striking geometric clarity;
• contrast balance;
• neutral surfaces, soft textures.

Lazy designer or designer-minimalist? How to recognize talent? For the formation of the perception system, the minimalist designers use certain methods. About them - further.

Minimum use of graphics should not mean her absence.

Simplify graphics to a minimum - One of the main techniques of minimalism, while minimalistic graphics should have its own style and semantic promise.




Accident color background, mostly - various variations The combinations of black and white, or predominantly light tones that will create a business style of the site and thereby call users a feeling of trust, reliability, stability, seriousness. Employ important information Color.


The clarity of the modular grid - it is important. The information that has a clear structure is easily perceived and remembered. The use of the modular grid and the guides will not only facilitate the structuring of all design elements relative to each other, but also to a large extent will save the nerves to the cameracher, which is much faster will calculate the size of all the substrate elements.








Understable navigation.Navigation simplified to a minimum will speed up the process of finding information and perception of the structure of the site. This is one of the elementary ways to quickly convey information to the visitor. Web designers are often resorted to the use of simple navigation.


In the literal sense of the word - remove everything too much. The charts. If you decide to use photographic materials, make them a visual illustration of the genus of the company.


Palette.The correct selection of the palette is very important for the formation of the necessary perception of information. Minimalism is not synonymous with simplicity and serness, or there is no color, minimalism is the style of filing information. Art historians give only stylistic advice, and everything else is the taste of a web designer and customer preferences.




Simplify design, we take a font to first place. If the text content for you is a paramount, then the font for design is "King and God". Experiment not only with types of fonts, but also at intervals, color. About fonts should be noted several entertaining facts. Naturally, the designer, working with fonts, wants his website to look original. But the truth is that most users who are lucky to visit this site are installed only system fonts, and 99% are fonts. windows systems. So, the experiment has its own logical limitations, use non-standard fonts where it is appropriate: logos, inscriptions.

The scope of application of minimalism in web designAs for me, minimalism, in principle, has no restrictions on its application. But the practice of using this direction has developed in such a way that most often
web designers use this style when creating the following sites:

website business card, portfolio:




corporate website:


Restrained colors and rejection of Ryushki, convenient navigation, well-structured information and emphasis on content will contribute to creating business style.

blog / Personal Page:




At its core, the principles of blog design and personal page are the same as the principles of site design. But there are differences that set the nature of the blogosphere itself: the side menu, simplified navigation, the main place is given to the text. Good examplewhich demonstrates the principles of blog design, can perform a Facebook site. Nothing should distract the user from information and communication:


It should be remembered that when using minimalistic style in design, it is also necessary to take into account the specifics of fonts, color solutions and company style of the company as a whole.

Of course, the attitude to minimalism in web design, as well as to minimalism in art, in different people can be different: from full delight to complete rejection. The customer may not look like a new actual vision of the artist, it may seem that the designer simply did nothing, but the fact that the fashion for minimalism is only gaining momentum - remains a fact. For example, a popular style in the architecture and design of interiors - High-tech - in many respects uses minimalism techniques:


Many photographers prefer this genre of photographs, especially - lugs. Use empty space as the main attribute to attract attention - the main method of the genre:






And finally, I would like to voice the motto of minimalist designers, which very well expresses the essence of the minimalist destination in the web design - "Doing More With Less".

Style minimalism in web design has always been loved and in demand by designers. However, the apparent ease of minimalist sites has a rigid pattern subordinate to certain rules and principles. Let's try to understand the main components of this attractive style using the analytical review from Smashing Magazine.

1. Better less, yes better
This phrase is probably the most famous description of the style of minimalism. It was introduced in the artist by the artist by Lubovig Van der Roe, when describing the aesthetics of minimalism. In web design, this postulate is achieved by placing a very minimal number of elements, only those necessary for a specific design.

2. eliminate unnecessary things
This phrase is borrowed from the authors of Strunk and White from their book "Style elements". There she sounded like "get rid of unnecessary words." The authors used it to describe minimalist philosophy. In applied to web design it means - do not turn on unnecessary items in your design. To do this, concentrate on the basic functions of your site and, based on this, leave only those functions and items that are necessary.

3. Simplify to the limit
It is understood here that try consistently simplify design to the limit of functionality and usability, to the verge, after which the integrity of the site will break.

4. Each item matters
In minimalist design, each detail you left is important. It is because of its small number and exclusivity Any element, whether it is a stroke around the image, a color palette, a white space, a battle line - all this will determine the face of your site, its emotions and style.

5. Minimum colors palette
In minimalistic design, the color takes a special meaning. The choice of color palette and color accent is particularly important. And, although many designers prefer classic options from white, gray and black, in minimalist design there is a place of absolutely any color.

6. Important importance of empty space
Empty (most often white) space is the basis of any minimalistic design. It is the free space around the element that regulates its importance in the overall design and determines the element hierarchy.

7. Using gray
Gray is fundamental in minimalist design. Shades are gray used as a background, in images, to write texts. Gray always looks stylish and winning itself, as well as in combination with black and white.

8. Using a large typography
The use of a large typography is a powerful and interesting trend. Large inscription can perfectly combine the function of the decorative graphic element, and at the same time carry a certain semantic component.

9. Using background patterns and images
Thin background pattern or active image as a background can add sharpness and interest in minimalist design.

10. Using simple modular grids
The simplest modular grids are not necessarily minimalist in nature, but undoubtedly one of the most effective ways Sort information on the site and designate links between blocks.

11. The use of decorative circles
All sorts of decorative circles are found in headlines in many designs, as well as used as accents in the navigation menu.

Among other trends of web design, minimalism occupies a special place. On the expanses of Runet, this flow is not particularly popular, and often used not entirely correctly. And very in vain, because a minimalist design may look really awesome!

People are tired of a large flow of information, bright colors, pictures and other content that all free space litto. Minimalism helps to get rid of Mishura and focus on the main thing.

We hope this article will clarify this question.

Roots minimalism in web design

Many of the most popular areas of design areas (including flat illustration, large background images and hidden navigation), directly or indirectly relate to minimalism, the web design of the movement, which began in the early 2000s, but borrows its philosophy from earlier movements In the visual art. Minimalism with proper use can help you send the design to simplify user tasks.

Unfortunately, some designers incorrectly apply minimalism, focusing only on the visual side of the issue. They reduce or hide important elements in pursuit of minimalist design for their own good, without thinking about convenience for users. They do not understand the basic essence of minimalism, and instead of making usability easier, complicate it.

To better understand and apply the principles of minimalism, we must understand its origins and the main characteristics. We explore these topics in a series of two articles. In this, first article, we will define minimalism and get acquainted with its history. In the second article, we analyze the characteristics of minimalist design and their impact on usability.

Minimalist interface - what is he?

With proper use, minimalist web design should as simple as possible, directly, show the content, does not complicate anything and not distracting the user from the main goal. This strategy often includes removing content or functions that do not support the main interface tasks.

About what exactly qualifies as a minimalist web design is a lot of disputes. But there are several common features that most designers highlight. They include flat textures, limited color palettes and the use of negative space. These and other specific characteristics are discussed in detail in the next article of this series.

Brian Dameman's portfolio portfolio website is a typical example of the fact that many designers are called a minimalist site. When viewing B. full screen mode 15-inch MacBook Pro., homepage Almost completely represents white space. The site is decorated in shades of gray palette, bold accents are delivered using interactive elements.

This site includes very few elements that distract from the main content. Minimalism is well suited for portfolio sites that have pretty simple goals, relatively low content volumes, and very similar information on most pages. Apply minimalism effectively for more complex sites may not be easy.

The path of minimalism to popularity

1960s

Before minimalism became a tendency in a web design, it was a movement in visual art during the Second World War. It originated as a response to chaotic colors, movements, and often occurs in the abstract works of expressionists (such as Jackson Pollock pictures).

In 1960, minimalism became popular in various fields, in particular, visual art and architecture. In the visual art, minimalism is characterized by monochromatic palettes, geometric elements, sequence and simplicity of industrial materials.

Minimalists worth noting - this is a graphic designer Josef Muller-Brockman, artist Ellsworth Kelly, and industrial designer Dieter Rams. Pay attention to clean lines, simplicity and economical use of color in each of the examples below. Despite the wide variety of areas of use, a certain design style is very sensitive.

The motto of minimalism at this time was: "less means more." This motto will later become an informal minimalism mantra in web design.

1980-2000

At the end of the twentieth century, minimalism began to fold as a separate direction in the field of human interaction with a computer.

The figures of this time advocated for brevity and eliminate unnecessary information from the interfaces.

2000s

Starting from the mid-2000s, the echoes of minimalism as an artistic movement began to appear in web interfaces: more negative space, less content and limited color palettes. Google is often referred to as the web interface minimalism pioneer. Google puts in priority simplicity and rigor in its interface since its beta launch in the 1990s.

For 15 years, little has changed. Users can see only three navigation options: to access the rest google featuresYou need to open the menu.

Slowly, but right, minimalism found a plot of support. It began to use web designers, designers, artists, photographers, architects and developers.

2010-2013

The appearance of the concept of adaptive web design (RWD) in 2010 allowed the minimalist approach in a new way. For effective use RWD methods, organizations were supposed to put priority for content. On mobile media, third-party elements could be a real problem - they could not be ignored as well as on desktop computers.

Gradually, user and designer preferences began to be inclined towards the simplicity of web interfaces. This shift was emphasized by major modernization carried out by two technologies industry giants: Modern Microsoft Design in 2011, and apple release iOS7 in 2013.

The release of Windows 8 in 2011 is the first major redesign operating system over the past decades. The new design philosophy was entirely implemented in the spirit of minimalism.

In 2013, Apple introduced radically updated operating system in more flat and more minimalist style - iOS7. Apple's decision to move to a minimal and flat design is particularly emphasized by the popularity of the trend, given that it is fundamentally contradicts the historical style of the brand design.

2014-2015

Minimalist development principles are currently appearing in new and unexpected places: on sites ecommerce, Internet publications, and even educational sites.

Many sites that offer a wide range of services also stop their choice on minimalism. This allows you to give customers exactly what you need, without distracting them to other little things.

Today, minimalism intersects with other web design directions, such as flat design, responsive web design, clean design. The contribution of minimalism to these trends will be discussed in detail in the article next week.

Disputes regarding usability: Is it good for minimalism for users?

Minimalism is a strategy that significantly affects the content and information and architectural solutions. As a result, minimalism has a certain impact on the usability of interfaces. It is not surprising that convenience and simplicity of use of minimalist sites has become a subject of discussion among web professionals.

Supporters argue that minimalism reduces information overload: the more functions and content you can remove, the better. Minimalism applied with the mind allows you to create a positive emotional experience for users. People tend to react better to aesthetically pleasant interfaces.

But when designers adhere to too hard ideology of minimalism, they risk achieving wastefully low information density. Everything you need will be simply difficult to find, and navigation - it is impossible to understand. Minimalism in moderate quantities can be effective, smoothly until you lose sight of the main goal - help users perform tasks.

Several advice on the creation of a minimalist interface

Make sure the minimalist design strategy is suitable for your site, your brand. If you are confident that minimalist design is right for you, follow the Soviets:

* Use the motto: "Less more", in your projects. Do not add excess elements just. This rule can be true for both content and design, as well as user amenities.

* Consider the ability to reduce any elements that do not bear important information.

* Learn to minimalize Carroll: Do not just cut the items - think about the needs of your users, try to realize tasks, so briefly and just as possible.

* Know that alone is a minimalist visual design, without a significant consideration of custom tasks, will not lead to success. Windows 8 users can serve as an example.

In-depth discussion of the characteristics of minimalism will be considered in the next article, in a week. Follow the news!