The world of web design has expanded rapidly over the past couple of decades. There are now millions of websites on the internet, and each of them has a unique design.
There are numerous different design techniques that you can use when you’re creating a new website, but some stand out above the pack. In recent times, minimalist techniques have become increasingly popular.
However, just because something is popular doesn’t mean that you should use it, and in this article I’m going to explore minimalist techniques and when they should be used.
What Are Minimalist Website Design Techniques?
To put it simply, minimalist design involves keeping things as basic as possible. The idea is that the absence of distractions will help draw people’s eyes to the important parts of your website, reducing distractions and improving the user experience.
There are numerous things to consider when it comes to minimalist design. Some of the most important include:
- Maintaining a content focus, which means that your written work needs to be impeccable. Ultimately, the lack of distracting design elements means that people are going to be more likely to spend time reading your work.
- Keep your website useable. Minimalist designs are great, but it’s also very important to make sure that your website is still useable. Keep important buttons and navigation links prominent, and make sure that you include the elements you need to.
- Using simple colours and fonts, rather than fancy or distracting ones. Many minimalist websites use basic black and white colour schemes along with standard sans-serif fonts. The idea here is that your content is the important thing, not your design.
- Leaving whitespace if you don’t have something to add. Although you might be tempted to add something to every empty space, don’t. Whitespace works well to draw the eye to important elements, and is a crucial minimalist design technique.
As you can see, minimalist design tends to focus on creating attractive websites which don’t use too many elements or components.
Should I Use Minimalist Design Techniques?
Ultimately, the answer to this question depends on your situation and the type of website you want. Minimalist design certainly doesn’t always work, but it tends to be a good choice for:
- Portfolio websites, where you want people to focus on your work, and on your work alone.
- Small business websites, where you need to convey a clear message and encourage people to use you services without them becoming distracted.
- Online stores, which should be focused on selling products. This means that they shouldn’t be distracting in any way, shape or form.
So yes, a minimalist design could work for you, but make sure that you consider your options and long-term goals before making a decision.
Final Word
All things considered, minimalist website design has grown in popularity for one reason – because it works. I’d recommend thinking about using minimalist design techniques if you’re trying to build a simple website, but make sure that you don’t get too carried away.
