Hey less is more, OK?

February 18, 2011 by

Notepaper

There’s something to be said about someone who can do much with little.

One thing that I can’t stress enough to clients is that people don’t read websites, they scan websites.  And complex websites are very difficult to scan.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe that every project is unique and deserves special consideration.  But I try to be an advocate for minimalist design. It’s not that I don’t enjoy building complex layouts. Actually I don’t, but that’s besides the point.  Companies (or should I say small businesses) rarely design complicated websites these days, and for good reasons.

Here’s why I like the minimalist design:

  • Complicated designs are difficult to organize and maintain from an information standpoint.
  • Minimalist websites often load faster and consume fewer server resources.
  • A minimalist design is less likely to overwhelm the end user.
  • Complicated designs are more likely to confuse the end user.
  • Using a complicated design is taking the easy way out because it takes more effort to keep your message short and brief.

The minimalist layout first became popular with Web 2.0 themes (Do one thing, and do it well). And it’s a good thing this style is finally taking hold with clients in general.  I sincerely hope it stays that way.