Does minimal design still work?

Is less still more? Or is less really just... less? Spurred on by the hyper-busy, almost epilepsy-inducing web design trends of the late 90s and early 2000s, minimalist qualities took a leap to the forefront of UI/UX design. But has minimal design become an overused, and now ineffective concept?

Minimalism in design is still relatively new, having only come to a forefront in the late 1960s and early 1970s. As a design concept, minimalism is about emphasising the most important, useful parts of a product or service while removing all which the designer deems unnecessary.

Since the heralding of the digital age, minimalist philosophy has permeated physical and digital design. We want to see what is of value to us as quickly as possible; without having to scavenge and forage for it. But as time has progressed, minimalist design - at its root a reaction to abstract works of expressionism - has become repetitive. Designers, instead of utilising minimalism to emphasise elements of value, have begun to use it as part of a general formula for aesthetic success.

Though the functional benefits of minimalism can't be undermined, from a design standpoint it's often difficult to tread the line between tasteful minimalism and tacky plainness.

So, my answer to the question is yes. Yes, a minimalist design strategy still does work. But with minimalist aesthetic still very much a trend, designers need to ensure that form & function co-exist within their work. Minimalism has always been a reaction against excess that can obscure great design due to a fixation on ornamentation. Whether in art, architecture, web design…you name it. Form and function needn't be antonyms.