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14.01.2022

convincing design

design
is not an art

In common parlance, design is an amalgamation of form and visual appeal. Although design works with various elements such as color, shape, and texture, it is not art in the conventional sense. The fundamental difference between the two comes down to the presence of a function or purpose. Every design product serves a specific business purpose, but a work of art contains no such limitations.

This means that essentially minimalist design must be purely functional, free of expression, emotion, and unnecessary elements.

One of the most famous principles in the world of design belongs to the American architect Louis H. Sullivan. Sullivan, the “father of skyscrapers”:

Form always follows function - and that is the law.
Louis Henry Sullivan

The principles of art and design based on clean, simple shapes and functionality have long influenced trends.

We now spend most of our time in smartphones, tablets and laptops, which are getting smaller and thinner every year, readability and optimized functionality are no longer desirable bonuses - absolute necessities. Minimalist design brings the clarity and straightforwardness that users are looking for; it helps brands stand out from the competition. As consumer attention spans get smaller and shorter to stand out, it's time to soften and simplify design decisions.

Some are convinced to the contrary, that the more elements in a design, the more unique it is. It makes sense to think that the more complex the design, the smarter or more complex it is. Let's not fall into that trap. The limitations of minimalism can be seen as more room for creativity in design.

Complexity limits the possibilities

Complicated design
doesn’t let it breathe

Have you ever walked into a room cluttered with a lot of stuff? You’ve probably felt uncomfortable because you couldn’t move around freely. It’s also visually exhausting. Your eyes are constantly moving around the room, and everything loses its importance because nothing stands out.

At a time when various visuals are competing with each other to get our attention, the return of the graphic trend based on the principle “less is more” represents a welcome breath of fresh air. To the average person, minimalism may seem simple enough, but in reality its basis is the demand for certainty and control that forms a flawless and clean design.

Complicated design
worse to remember

While minimalism has not overshadowed many other trends, it certainly leaves its mark. Simplicity is easier to remember than complexity. Minimalism sells itself. Think of brands like Apple, Dior, Chanel, HP. These companies created a visual identity in keeping with the simplicity and sophistication they stand for, creating clean and elegant products, websites, and print materials. Their simplicity is able to accommodate the content of not only entire books, but entire lifestyles. Followers of such brands all over the world feel emotions when they see a familiar symbol, because it encapsulates the stories they cherish.

Simplicity is a trend that never goes out of fashion, it makes it appealing to brands and consumers alike. Minimalism stays timeless and is easily updated when needed. It represents a solid foundation for long-term consistency and brand identity recognition in the market.

Complicated design
less convincing

Simplicity plays a crucial role in controlling the observer’s attention and understanding of the product. The fewer elements in the mix, the greater the chance of achieving both goals. A pleasant yet functional design product should always be both aesthetically pleasing and easy to use.

When you’re dealing with just a few elements, each of them carries a great deal of significance. Your product or service may have many benefits. But minimalism requires that you select the most important ones, effectively showcasing them. This clarifies and focuses your design, increasing its persuasiveness. The most important rule to adopt is awareness. You should choose your elements with the utmost care.

Function translates purpose. Form represents attractiveness

The principle of the predominance of function over form makes perfect sense. Its logic is impeccable: the way something looks must be influenced by its purpose. A chair cannot stand on two thin legs, and designing a beautiful Web site that doesn’t load properly is far from a job well done.

However, making a solid chair or a working Web site is not the end of the route. On the contrary, it is only the beginning. We can confidently expect a product that serves its purpose well to perform as effectively and for as long as its prettier competitor. Nevertheless, it is the visual appeal that determines whether the consumer will set that brand apart from other available products with the same function.

For another great architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, the founder of the principle of free planning, function and form were equally important and essentially aligned: “Form follows function is just dogma until you realize the ultimate truth, that form and function are one.”

You can easily see this in our daily lives as well. We love things that look good-so much so that we are often able to covet something attractive that we don’t even need. Creating products just to meet functional requirements without external appeal won’t make them competitive. Consumers have raised the bar, contributing to the modern design we know today.

Form and function at the service of the user experience

Designing with functional and aesthetic criteria in mind has always been a challenge, but with the advent of the 21st century the situation has become even more demanding. Designers around the world have begun to actively explore form as a way of communicating emotion through appeal.

The broader the understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have
Steve Jobs, 1996

This statement is still relevant today. Graphic design, for example, especially since the introduction of UI/UX concepts, now focuses on the human experience more than ever before. This is not just a passing trend -- user experience has become a powerful, integral function that all design products must follow.

"Form follows function" is still relevant, but in a new, broader sense. The central question that prompts designers to look for appropriate forms is no longer, "What does it do?" Now it's: "What does it translate?"

The New Paradigm:
Form follows engagement

In an era in which user experience prescribes forms and gives a new dimension to every specific function a design product can perform, communicating messages, evoking emotions, and engaging become mandatory tasks of purposeful graphic design.

Despite the collective desire, user engagement is a designer’s most elusive goal. Creating forms that convey stories and elicit desired responses is a process that requires skill, patience, experience, and flexibility.

This is why good design is not always visible and simply works. It is always as much about communication as it is about appeal. Function influences form, and form follows what makes a person feel, react, and participate.

For those who dig deeper
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