Graphic Design
Minimalist Design
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction." -- E. F. Schumacher
Sometimes, less is more. In the context of digital art, the minimalist movement stresses stripped down design aesthetics that involve fewer lines, fewer colors, and recognizable shapes. Just as it can be more difficult to write a very short paper than a longer essay, creating a simple design is not always easy. The designer must focus her attention on the core essentials, and she must be willing to disregard elements that clutter the message.
Badge Deliverables
- Begin by looking for inspiration. Give yourself some time to surf web galleries that specialize in minimal design. Simple Desktops and Minimal Movie Posters are two sites that you might find useful, but there are many others out there. As you surf these sites, take notes about design approaches that you find particularly useful or exciting.
- Read what other designers have to say. The articles listed in the "Useful Resources" section are an excellent starting point for minimalist design. Give yourself some time to thoughtfully review and contemplate the points made by these designers.
- Design at least two of the following: (1) computer desktop wallpaper that reflects minimalist design principles, (2) a movie poster or book jacket, and (3) a screenshot of a home page for a hypothetical design or development studio (perhaps your own business) that reflects minimalist design principles.
- In a short (600 word) blog posting, explain how you incorporated minimalist principles in your designs. Be sure to include captioned screenshots of your designs as part of the blog posting. emember that your blog posting should be written in a professional tone, as if you were explaining minimalist design to a colleague or client. All badge write-ups should be posted to your personal blog. Avoid first-person. When finished, please send a short e-mail with the subject line "Pending. Graphic Design: Minimalist Design" to adelwich@trinity.edu.
USEFUL RESOURCES
- Cameron Chapman (2010) "Principles of minimalist web design, with examples," Smashing Magazine, May 13.
- K. Karol (2012) "Creating minimalist designs makes you a better designer," Webdesigner Ledger, February 9.
- Neeru Pallen (2012) "Essential principles for creating minimalist web design," Design Modo, February 1.
- Mary Stribley (2015) "Minimalist design: 25 beautiful examples and practical tips," Canva, February 19.