Minimalism is a way of life. A state of mind which is governed by an uncluttered, simple and clean philosophy. Embracing the ‘Less Is More’ whilst not having to sacrifice on the interesting is the guiding light of this school of thought. The purpose of Minimalism is to be able to introduce a meaningful experience to life with the things that add value to your life instead of simply occupying unnecessary space.
The chaotic and crowded world of consumerism often burdens and ambushes us with unabashed choices. In this world of busy, the neat concept of Minimalism comes with a Zen-like halo to it. For effective, quick and precise messaging, it focuses on communicative design and is key in today’s crowded space. In the world of design, branding and advertising information often gets lost in intricate design and it becomes difficult to sift through it.
A Minimalist design often draws inspiration from nature and is dominated by clean lines and soothing colours. The human optics and brain can only process so much of design traffic and hence when it does come across a deliberate, sleek and subtle style of presentation it is drawn to its relaxed dejunked style. In terms of brand design language, the Minimalist trend has shown much promise in the modern era.
In today’s fast paced world of consumerism, each brand fights for space and the attention of an audience. But through colour, design, hierarchy, fonts, functionality and layout ensure that they deliver communicative and effective design solutions. A brand is a promise and branding is a promise delivered; following this as a guide, the brand focuses on conveying every trait through the visual identity created.
Through fine packaging ideas they embark on connecting the structure and vision of a brand. As we are surrounded by digitised chaos, this agency creates minimal, confident and functional design that establishes communication in the best possible manner. Through their end-to-end web and print solutions, they make the virtual space for brands look engaging.
In the present times, the challenge any brand faces are to make itself memorable. They ache for their memory to be embedded in order for them become iconic and achieve a cult status. The success of any product lies in its identity. For that to be recognised and retained in a whirlpool of impression is always difficult. The visuals help us establish a connect and a bond with a particular brand. It establishes a communication and dialogue with an audience. A remarkable packaging will help or harm the soul of a brand. Thus, it is established that recognition is key. In this hustle bustle of colour and rendition, it is a minimalist design ethos that provides a strong recall.
How does a minimalist design make the maximum impact? There has always been much curiosity around this question. The technique lies in doing away with the unwanted elements and retain only that is of use. Minimalism is often misunderstood with just ‘off- loading’. It’s an art and is an extremely thought after process where the basic focus lies on design and balancing of negative space, colour and typography.
Another reason for minimalism to be a popular choice for visual branding lies in its simplicity. Simple shapes and colour palettes are easy to remember as it prioritises the necessities of the mind. Another favouring feature of minimal branding is consistency. A minimalist design order provides a set direction which is reflected in the tone of the brand. Also, a minimalist representation enjoys being versatile.
Brands like Apple, Nike, Uber, Airbnb and Louis Vuitton, are pioneers of extreme minimalism concepts.
One cannot negate the impact created by the Nike logo. The much famed ‘swoosh’ is often used as an example of an unforgettable minimal logo. Inspired by the winged Greek goddess of victory, it communicates speed and movement. An uncomplicated design which is packed with meaning making it truly iconic. Minimalist design language is used for effective communication through all mediums of communications and platforms. A message is always better observed and retained when it bears the trait of simplicity.
The attention span of an average consumer continues to get reduced to an average of 8 seconds (social media) in a world where we are constantly being fed an insane quantum of information. Absorption of information is through quick takes. Human beings are in fact forgetful. About 25% of teenagers forget details about their close friends and relatives. So much so, 7% of people forget their own birthday from time to time. Amid such a state of affairs, branding and advertising constantly struggle to meet these demands of consumers in this crowded space.
The ultimate goal of any brand is to evolve with changing times and build memory through minimal, communicative and memorable design.
It is however important to understand minimalism is all about harmony and balance. It is a life choice where one breaks the shackles of didactic congestion. Minimalism is all about being authentic and to be able to highlight a true purpose. The future of maximum lies in Minimalism.
Views expressed are personal.
