Minimalism is a design trend that focuses on stripping away any unnecessary elements, leaving only what is core and fundamental to the design. In many ways, there is beauty in this simplicity and many artists, engineers, and designers have taken note. First emerging in the world of visual arts in 1960, it was met with some skepticism and outrage when first displayed in exhibitions. Barnett Newmans,
Voice of Fire was commissioned for Expo 67 for a value of $1.8 million, sparking some outrage amongst the public who viewed the seemingly "lazy" artwork as being overpriced, even more so when it was discovered that it was originally displayed upside down. From these early expo's the trend of minimalism reached architecture. Here minimalism entailed that a house is best described as a roof and 4 walls, naturally a one room house isn't very practical so minimalism played a greater role in deciding aesthetic decisions. Sharp square edges, white rooms, natural lighting, and other such themes became the mainstay of minimalist architecture.
Minimalism is quite commonplace nowadays. The Apple logo for instance is easily recognizable even without any context. Minimalism and UI design go hand in hand as designers are grateful that they can combine easy of use with aesthetics. Reducing the number of elements on a screen allows users with limited technological knowledge to make sense of the core functions of an application. Making this simplicity work requires a great deal of creativity from the designer but the many hours it saves the users is well worth the effort. As computer systems become more complex, and the density of information we take in increases, the role of minimalism will be integral in making sure people get the most out of their applications.
Bibliography
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimalism
- https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Voice_of_Fire_photo.jpg
- https://www.dezeen.com/tag/minimalist-architecture
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