“Less is more”. That adage especially applies to modern web design. In the past, cluttered sites were the norm as the web design was still in its experimental phase.
Minimalist web design focuses on making use of typography, white space, and a focus on content to achieve a balance of aesthetic beauty and function. It’s more than just visually pleasing.
In a world where sites should work smoothly on devices of all screen sizes, minimalism can improve a site’s loading speed, compatibility, and ease of use. Whether a user is on a desktop or mobile, a clean, simple UI makes browsing and navigation a breeze.
In this article, we will go over the pillars of minimalist design and showcase 5 examples of minimalist web design.
The Central Components of a Minimalist Web Design
It is tempting to think of minimalist web design as boring or plain. However, the previous examples have shown that certainly isn’t the case. The main goal of minimalist design is to achieve beautiful designs while giving users a great user experience.
Three of the most important pillars of minimalist web design includes:
Visual Harmony – Visual harmony or symmetry is the way site elements are aligned with one another. Visual harmony is achieved with grids and attention to visual balance.
Great Photography – Whether it is a dynamic hero image or oversized product images, high-definition photos add emotion and visual interest to minimalist design.
Contrast – The use of contrast (such as pairing a white or neutral background with vivid images) attracts the eyes to important elements.
5 Examples of Minimalist Web Design
Tinker
Just like the brand’s mission (to provide customers the chance to customize their watches without unnecessary flourishes), the design of this site is simple. Making use of stunning photography, easily readable fonts, and condensed text, Tinker Watches draws the user’s eyes to the product.
We Ain’t Plastic
Designed by UX engineer, Roland Lösslein, We Ain’t Plastic is an excellent example of contrast with the site’s main image dominating in size in comparison with the text. With gorgeous transitions and muted colors, this site is combines attractive visual design with ease of use.
Instrument
Instrument is a web design agency whose own site is a great preview into their talent. With a stark black background, bold text, and images of past work front and center, Instrument wastes no time in showing site visitors what the company is all about.
Nua Bikes
There is a lot going on screen with Nua Bikes. You wouldn’t know it with the balance presented minimalist design. With a product right in the center, the design balances text, navigation, and imagery to draw attention to the bike without sacrificing usability.
Kickpush
The last site in this article proves that web design doesn’t have to be so black and white. A red background and white text might be unconventional in web design, but it works to great effect for product design company, Kickpush.