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Yes, we get it - minimalism is all the rage now. Monochrome home decorating, sparce office spaces, maintaining lots of white space in your marketing materials. These are all fine approaches, but should your website take on a "minimalist" look as well?
It seems the latest in website design is having a "minimalist" site. There is a current train of thought that believes that the more bare-bones your website is, the more attractive it will be to visitors. So is this really true?
Minimalism in web design means getting rid of excess. It says you should do more with less, using only the features you really need. Minimalist designers believe that you can simplifying the interface by removing unnecessary components, clearing out excess design elements, and limiting color. In the other words, do more with less.
By putting only the most important features into the website space, it makes them stand out more. By including only what really matters, the things you do put in the space have the room they need to really shine and stand out.
The problem is, as people embrace this idea, it has begun to be taken too far. Some websites have become so pared down that they lack useful content to capture the attention of visitors. The use of so much white space looks boring and sparce, looking like your website isn't finished and/or you lack creativity. Content often suffers in the effort to streamline, which makes communicating your value, products and services difficult. Lastly, with this ultra-simple design approach, your website may not be designed with room to grow with your business.
A purely maximalist site embraces all the bells and whistles, and strives to make a website "loud". Some think of maximalism as incorporating excess - a widely colorful, aggressive website.
While maximalism can have a no-holds-barred approach to design that involves embracing excess, it can simply offer a distinctive visual flair to your website. A maximalist website, so to speak, can be one that highlights creativity, provides graphic interest, and rich, informative content.
Of course, a web designer can go overboard with a maximalist site. There can be an overuse of color, buttons, moving elements, and content that just make the site look cluttered and chaotic. There can be too many choices for visitors, leaving them frustrated and confused (and headed off to another website instead of staying on yours).
The most important factor in good web design is to make sure that all design elements serve a clear purpose. Websites shouldn't have dramatic design features just for the sake of design. The navigation should be obvious and intuitive. Pages should highlight the most important services and products. Content should be useful, with copy relevant and well written. It should be useful to a wide range of visitors, and be technically secure and optimized. Most importantly, it should fit with your business personality and branding.
While minimalism has become as popular in contemporary website design as interior design, it can be a very limiting approach, creatively speaking. Maximalism strives to communicate with the same clarity as minimalism, but with a greater range of copy, content, graphic elements.
At Zebralove, we take an individual approach to all our websites. We get to know your business, your marketing goals and objectives, and then determine what design and content will work best to promote your business online.
Contact us so we can discuss your website goals with you!
Noelle has been a marketing professional, and a published author and copywriter for over 20 years. Her work has been featured in both print publications and online media, where she has written on a broad range of topics. She owns Castle Media Co., assisting businesses with their marketing and digital media needs, specializing in website development, content marketing, social media, copywriting, and blogging.
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