Personally, I believe minimalism is not simply like splash dots of color on a white cloth. A major consideration here is the focus; ie. what gets noticed.

Let’s examine some common traits of visitors on website, which includes me and you:

1. We aren’t mostly on picnic on a website
2. We are impatient.
3. Fastest source gets a thumbs up.
4. We love choices, but appreciate someone who can pick a best couple from hundreds for us.
5. We stick to the point.

If you agree about these, I think its worthwhile looking at it from a minimalist angle. Minimalism ensures that you have enough of what is needed and nothing of what’s going to add flab to the website. So whether we barge in to a website in a hurry or are going to seek services or information patiently, it is essential that we get just what we asked for without having to search for it too long or too deep.

Websites work as good as pizza delivery boys in that the fastest guy who brings pizza is popular and sought after. Minimalist sites have the minimal number of pictures, videos and flash (some of the major components that makes web pages heavy and hence contributing to longer download time) and concentrates more on showing all necessary content appealingly depending more on content arrangement, color combination and utilization of white-spaces. Also, the cherry on the cake is that faster loading websites gets better SEO ratings on search engines.

I do get frustrated with one of my buddies who gives five different directions to one place. Even worse when he draws it on a paper, making a mess of it, wasting ink and leaving me even more confused and concerned. I love guys who tell me a more or less direct way, with lesser twists and with proper landmarks to follow. Since a minimalist design inherently adopts the latter approach, navigation through a finite number of relevant options, shown as links without sliders and shutters mostly one never seriously appreciates, a user can get what he wants faster and without distractions.

To design a minimalist site is to deliver more with less. A designer needs to sharpen more of his/her color concepts knowledge, utilize creative writing skills, apply perspective designing and realism, and do more illustration than photographs for ornamentation of the websites. Theme and subject gets the upper hand in minimalist design, on which the whole website design bases itself.

Check out these websites:

• http://www.gagesalzano.com/
• http://thesum.ca/blog.html
• http://beingwicked.com/
• http://www.markwieman.com/
• http://www.themorningnews.org/
• http://www.interiors.davroc.co.uk/
• http://madebypixelcraft.com/
• http://www.geeksphone.com/en/

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