Minimalist Design: 25 Beautiful

Examples and Practical Tips

Mary Stribley

Youve probably heard the term minimalism thrown about here

and there, particularly in the past few years, but what exactly is
it and how can we get the most out of it?

Minimalism can be described as the stripping away of all unnecessary

elements and focusing on what needs to be there. In this sense, minimalism
encourages purpose.

While minimalism often appears simple on the outside, a lot of thought,

practice and time goes into the production and development of a minimalistic
piece. So, here are some ways you can get the most out of minimalism.

01. Get Consistent

A minimal brand mark can be incredibly useful when it comes to creating a

brand identity. Take this bar branding by Simon McWhinnie for example. By
keeping the logo super simple and the colour palette very minimal, it has
become flexible enough to be used throughout the rest of the branding
seamlessly, creating a consistent and very memorable brand.
02. Explore Hidden Relationships

Embracing minimalism in no way means that your design has to be any less
creative. In fact, when youre not bogged down in complex visuals, you often
get a chance to explore and play with clever relationships hidden within your
design. Have a look at the branding done by Interbrand for Opera Australia, a
minimalist design has allowed them to discover a clever relationship with the
words OPERA, OPERA AUSTRALIA and OZ OPERA.

03. Play With Spatial Relationships

Minimalism can allow you to consider the spatial relationship of your design
in a way you might not have before. Consider how your design interacts with
other elements to create a wider design, just as these business cards designed
by Trevor Finnegan do when lined up.

04. Be Clever
Minimalism isnt about the complete lack of illustrative elements, but rather
the careful choice of when and where to use them. By working an illustrative
element that directly relates to the brand name into a logo, similar to the way
Frame Creative have done with this branding, you can create a very visual,
and yet very minimal design.

05. Embrace Efficiency

Minimalism is often about stripping away all the unnecessary things and
focusing on the communication. Have a look at the way this business card
from Jake Frey displays his contact information neatly and efficiently, no
crazy visuals needed.
06. Get On The Grid

As you probably already know, grids are very handy (some may say crucial) to
a lot of design, and this is especially true for minimalism. As you may not
have that many elements within your design, its likely a good time to really
play up the use of your grid system. Check out this editorial design from
Jessica Giboin that uses grids to create a strong sense of alignment with the
body copy, headings and graphic elements, generating a clean, simple and
effective design.

07. Lets Get Functional

Minimalism can be just brilliant for functionality. A clean, clear and
uncluttered design can make navigation and legibility a walk in the park, just
as it is with this contents page design from James Kape. The minimal design
and the clear typographical hierarchy makes the navigation of this contents
page quick, easy and functional.

08. Find Your Balance

The relationship between visual elements such as photographs and
typographical elements is important to get just right. A good design often
ensures that no one element vastly overpowers the other with no good reason.
In this publication example from Mother Design, the more simple
photographs have been paired with large, attention-grabbing pull quotes,
while the more textured and complicated images have been paired with a
small piece of body copy creating a balanced harmony between each page.

09. Break Some Rules

As previously mentioned, minimalism gives you a specific window to
experiment with your design in a way you may not have been able to
otherwise, and sometimes this means bending the rules a little. Take this
logotype from Ruby Wight for example, presenting half of a logotype upside
down seems like a bit of a crazy decision to make, one that in any other case
would ruin the legibility. But, thanks to the extreme simplicity and minimal
nature of the branding, this crazy decision actually works really well as a
visual element.

10. Make Your Type Visual

Type is an important weapon to not forget about, particularly when it comes
to minimalism. It can act as a visual element, especially when it has been
tweaked to fit the situation, just as it has been in this opening spread from
Italian Vogue. Adjusting the type to look like rippling water creates a strong
visual effect without the use of any imagery, leaving the final design simple
and clear.

11. White Space Is Alright Space

White space, also known as negative space, can sometimes be looked at as
just empty or blank space, but this is not entirely accurate! When used well,
white space can help balance out your design, declutter it and help it breathe.
Take a look at this publication example from Studioahamed, where the idea
of white space has been leant into and embraced, resulting in a classy and
minimal design.

12. Explore Your Options

Whats more minimal than an all-white colour palette? Design doesnt have to
end on the screen, taking it further when it comes to printing can give it a
certain unique flair that sets apart your design from the rest. Considering
letterpress or embossing effects at your printer can really complement and
add depth to a minimal design, as seen in this example from Adam Buente.

13. Texture
When exploring minimalism, its easy to assume that in order to be minimal
you need to exclusively use flat colours, but this is definitely not the case.
Introducing a little bit of texture into your design can give it that added depth
and effectiveness without foregoing your minimalist aspirations. Texture
works particularly well when its balanced out with clean, flat colours just like
those seen on this website/branding example by Watts Design that uses
texture to balance out the simple photography and brand mark to create a
very effective design.

14. Think Outside The Box

Quite literally. A minimal design can allow you to be a bit more playful with
your elements positioning and composition, as seen in this publication
example from Gregmadeit. The positioning of the type off the edge of the
page creates a unique and eye-catching effect without damaging the legibility
of the text.

15. Be Direct
When there are less elements fighting to be seen, you are able to be a lot more
direct with your message and overall communication. This is especially useful
when it comes to web design, as we all tend to skim pages, a direct and plain
message of intent, as seen on Nine Sixtys website, helps give the reader an
idea of who they are straight away.
16. Scale It Up

Within minimalism, you tend you have a stronger say on exactly where your
audiences eye goes first, and one way you can achieve this is with scale. Have
a look at the elements in this editorial spread from Saturdays Magazine, the
eye immediately goes to the largest element: the pull quote on the right page,
then the photograph, then the copy. A simple design, when purposely scaled,
helps you dictate the exact path your audience will take over your publication.

17. Not Everything Is Black And White

17.NotEverythingBlackWhite

Many people believe that monochromatic colour palettes are the be all and
end all of minimalism, but this isnt quite true. Colour can be used to create
an eye-catching design without foregoing minimalism, as long as the palette
is kept relatively small (1-3 colours is best). Check out this example from
Moruba, where the bright yellow paired with the strong white and black logo
work together to make a really successful and striking (yet still quite
minimalistic) design that is sure to stand out.

18. Be A Bit Flexible

18.Flexible

A minimalistic design can really help enhance the flexibility of your design,
especially in terms of application. For example, this branding by Bro Ufho
consists of a simple serif brand mark and two blocks of flat colour. This
particular branding has a high degree of flexibility in terms of its colour
palette; the colour of the diagonal blocks are able to change quite easily
without losing any of the brands integrity, all thanks to a simple, yet unique
minimalist design.

19. Get Symbolic

19.Symbolic

Minimalism is a great chance for you to explore the depth of symbolism with
your design. Try and think around an object, about the things associated with
the subject, about what the subject stands for. For example, have a look at
this design by Jennifer Carrow for the jacket of the non-fiction book Against
Happiness. By fashioning the type into the symbol of a sad face makes for a
clever and memorable design.

20. Iconography
20.Iconography

Icons are useful little items that most of us use every day, from app icons to
the toolbar icons on your computer. Icons can be used very effectively in the
world of minimalism, as well. They can enhance accessibility, reduce the
amount of text or type you have on a page and help guide users around your
design visually. Have a look at how this website theme by Spab Rice
integrates icons throughout the page to help navigation and explain their
intent.

21. Think Typographically

21.ThinkTypographically

Less is definitely better, particularly when it comes to minimalistic

typography. Using 1-3 fonts is your best chance at maintaining a minimal and
functional design, just as has been done in this example by Kalpakian. The
minimal use of type and the sparing use of fonts creates easy legibility.

22. Small Adjustments, Big Pay-Off

22.SmallAdjustments

The beauty of minimalism is the fact that small changes can have big results.
Take this logotype for The Pines for example. A simple, sans-serif typeface
adjusted with just two strokes creates a small but smart visual that doesnt
tamper with the alignment or minimalism of the logotype.

23. Focus
 23.Focus

Dont forget why you started your design: the content. Minimalism works
extremely well when it comes to showcasing content as the simplicity of the
design allows for the attention to immediately go to the content rather than
the business of the page. Have a look at this minimal webpage design by
Darrin Higgins that simply allows for the content to be the main focus.

24. Contrast
24.Contrast

High contrast designs help put your content and visual elements in the
foreground and make for an easily consumed design. In this example, a
webpage by Mads Burcharth, the black background of the page contrasts
sharply with the vibrant colour of the content images to create a simple but
engaging design.

25. Design For The Future

25.DesignForTheFuture

Minimalism can be a vital component to your design as it has the potential to

be timeless. The fewer elements your design includes, the less chance they are
to go out of style or lose their trendiness. A common and perfect example of
this is Google. Take a look at the screenshots below of the Google homepage
10 years ago and today. Despite small changes, the white space, the focus on
the content and the ultimate minimalism of the website has kept the design
relatively timeless.

Overall, minimalism isnt necessarily an aesthetic objective or an exact style

you can recreate, but rather, its a way of thinking about your design.

Typographically, try to limit your use of fonts to create a more cohesive, and
less confusing design. Put an emphasis on your use of hierarchy and align
your type to a grid of some sort for maximum legibility.

In terms of colour, embrace monochromatic schemes by all means, but dont

feel limited to them. An occasional addition of colour here and there can
really help to highlight certain points of your design and draw focus to
particular elements.

In general, try to consider what can be removed, whether that is a colour from
your palette, or an image from your composition. Consider what can be
condensed, what can replaced by something more concise. Simply, reduce it
as much as you can until all that remains is what is necessary.