When I am surrounded by too much stuff it all interferes with how I think – like static on a radio signal. I realise I need order so I can think in an ordered way. I am addicted to a clear table top, or a shelf with a single item on it. I know people who can operate very well on scraps of paper torn from notepads or sticky notes and that is all fine, but to be honest, even the thought of it just gives me a headache. It is because of this affliction that I end up describing myself as a man with minimalist intentions but on balance, compared to some, I don’t think I can really describe myself as a real minimalist.
Hardcore minimalists will list the items that they use in their lives. 288 items, 115 items, 101 items or even 97 items to keep in your life and discard everything else. Although I admire anyone who makes that step and takes on that lifestyle choice, it could be a little much for me. I guess you can cut back too much but at the same time keeping the things that you don’t need will always complicate things. The moral would be that sometimes it’s just best to keep it simple and ultimately it is the simple things that you will keep with you.
When you look at a magazine or a well-designed website you don’t want to be overwhelmed with everything all at once. Sometimes people think that they must cram everything in and throw everything at the viewer instantly which can be an assault on the eyeballs. When you are listening to a piece of music a simple acoustic guitar can move you emotionally, much more than the whole band. Good typesetting which follows the principles of good website design will give the viewer what they need to know while being reminded of the brand without being bombarded from the get-go. For sure, fill your website with everything that you do, but allow the viewer to find it for themselves. There are essentially principles of good website design which will need to be altered and adapted to each individual presentation, but these influences always remain the recipe for creating something special.
Identify
Firstly, identify your brand and the purpose of your website.
Focus
When that is properly established the focus must be on communicating that to the viewer quickly, cleanly and clearly. From the visual design aspect, choosing a limited number of colours and an appealing typeface to tie in with the company branding.
Image
Bringing in the best images are of course a huge part of a great website, photographs, infographics and headers that lay everything out in a way that is pleasing to the eye.
Usability
From a more technical side of things, the site must be easily navigated and have a layout which follows the eyes natural flow of moving down and from left to right across the top of the page before moving downwards.
Respond
Finally, it should respond quickly and be instantly adaptive to all the different platforms that we use for the internet e.g. laptops, PCs, tablets and mobile phones.
Not that I’m biased, but this is what Brightbulb do best. Brightbulb understand how to take your vision and fine tune it, tweak it (just a little) and make it stand out. To us your site is individual and at the end of the day, no matter how simple it is, it is always very special.
