Form Follows Minimalism

Form follows minimalism

This essay discusses the design principle ‘form follows minimalism’. Different elements of minimalism have been carefully examined looking at the work of influential designers, notably Dieter Rams, and the key principles; simplicity, reducing to the necessary elements, sustainability and function.

By extracting unnecessary or superfluous elements of a design the core elements can be magnified to produce a timeless design. Using geometric shapes and simple lines, minimalism creates an aesthetic that promotes longevity and sustainability in design.

Minimalism is one of the most substantial design movements of the 20th and early 21st century, it has become so prevalent due to the fact that it is a design principle, rather than a visual style. Its influence has been widespread across all areas of design, from web, to industrial design.

As a design philosophy, minimalism implies the ‘simplicity of design, achieved by using the fewest and barest essentials or elements to maximum effect’ (Bradley, 2011). Minimalism does not imply the absence of design but the emphasis of core elements of design, embracing the notion of ‘do more with less’, a phrase imparted by Buckminster Fuller

The history of minimalism can bey linked to three key periods:

In traditional Japanese design and culture, simplicity is one of the continued themes throughout Japanese design. Minimalism is embodied by the concept of ‘MA’ - the clean, and crucial, void between all things. ‘MA is the emptiness full of possibilities, like a promise yet to be fulfilled.’ By allowing the key elements of a design to rise to the surface. It is worth comparing the difference between simplicity and minimalism.

The Dutch art movement, De Stijl, in the 1930’s also played a role in the creation of minimalism. Translating to ‘the style’ De Stijl emphasises a more simplified and abstract ethic, embracing ‘basic visual elements such as geometric forms and primary colours’ (Modern art insight,2011). De Stijl later went on to have an important influence on Bauhaus architecture and design.

Another father to minimalism was the Bauhaus movement in the 1960’s, instigated by architect Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe, the third director of Bauhaus who is attributed to one of the most renowned minimalist statements ‘less is more’ which is the ‘unofficial mission statement for minimalist design’ (Oleg Mokhov, 2011). Van Der Rohe utilised contemporary materials with clear lines, simple forms and effectively employed the use of open space. An example of this can be seen in his design of Berlin’s Neue Nationalgalerie (pictured).

Furthermore, minimalism as a philosophy is not merely restricted to art and design, it can be applied to all aspects of life. To live a minimalist lifestyle implies intentionally trying to live with only the things that one really needs. ‘At its core, minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it. It is a life that forces intentionality. And as a result, it forces improvements in almost all aspects of your life.’ (Joshua Becker, 2015) As a designer, exploring a minimalist lifestyle can challenge and enhance designs

Minimalism is a system to which a design is reduced to it’s necessary elements, however, it is important not to infer from this that any part doesn’t contribute towards the function of the design is superfluous and unnecessary. A designer may use certain elements to create an experience in their design which may not directly link to the functionality, but is still necessary. Minimalism does not merely imply the omission of all extraneous elements of a design but purposefully using the core elements to the maximum effect.

It is also important to consider the relationship between minimalism and simplicity, minimalism is the reduction in quantity, whereas simplicity is the reduction or perhaps the opposite to complexity. This is not to say that there is not a direct link between the two, minimalistic design can be simplistic but simplistic cannot always be minimal, in a sense minimalism could be viewed as a manifestation of simplicity.

It is easy to perceive that minimalistic design is easy, a by-product of indolence, but this is far from the case. Light weighting a design to its most pure and essential elements and magnifying the most valuable is a complex task. “Any fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage – to move in the opposite direction” (Albert Einstein, no date)

Apple

Minimalism is also a design ethos that was embodied by the late Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, not only in his design but also in his lifestyle. Former Apple CEO John Sculley recalled a visit he made to Jobs’ house. “I remember going into Steve’s house and he had almost no furniture in it. He just had a picture of Einstein, whom he admired greatly, and he had a Tiffany lamp and a chair and a bed.  …he was incredibly careful in what he selected.” This is reflected in Apple’s products; every element is deliberate and considered.

A timeless example of minimalist Apple design is the iPod, the device features no ornamentation aside from the apple logo on the back. The intuitive scroll wheel incorporates multiple actions in to one simple interaction.

"Simplicity isn't just a visual style. It's not just minimalism or the absence of clutter. It involves digging through the depth of the complexity. To be truly simple, you have to go really deep." (Jobs, 2003)

“It takes a lot of hard work, to make something simple, to truly understand the underlying challenges and come up with elegant solutions.”

Apple’s approach is not limited to their physical products either, another good example of their minimalist approach is their update from iOS6 to iOS7. iOS 6 shows heavy ornamentation in an almost Baroque style, perhaps in a pursuit of realism, whereas the updated iOS 7 adopts a streamlined, minimalist approach, ridden of all ornamentation. The unobtrusive design of iOS 7 features thinner font and removes the clunky box giving it a smoother aesthetic. The intuitiveness is continued in the software, users pinch to zoom out, double tap to zoom in and scroll down to reveal more of a page.  

Dieter Rams

One of the most influential minimalist designers is Dieter Rams, the German born industrial designer was a figurehead at the Braun company, designing radio, audio devices and other consumer devices. Rams’ ethos promotes longevity, by living longer with less. A firm believer in functionalism, Ram’s vision of design is represented by the expression ‘Less, but Better’. Interestingly in interviews Rams says that he never follows the principle of ‘Form follows function’ preferring to follow simply ‘functionality’. In 1976 Rams delivered a speech where he drew attention to the increasing amount of pressure that we are putting on finite resources, which correlates to his minimalist style of design. Rams believes that obsolescence is a crime and this resonates through his designs at Braun which still function to specification 30 years after manufacture.