This article comes from the Mockplus team, a faster and simpler prototyping tool.
Minimalist web design style, how to do simple but not simple? Simple style design needs to understand and master what taboos and skills, in order to make the web design simple and charming? Continue to read the article, xiaobian will be combined with specific examples for you to explain one by one.
In recent years, minimalist design style (also known as simple design style) is more and more recognized by designers, adopted and increasingly popular. This is not only because the interface is easy to understand and operate, but also because it can improve the loading speed of websites and software applications, page screen compatibility, and user experience pleasure.
However, minimalist design is not a matter of mechanically removing or reducing web sites or page components/modules. Instead, every little detail in the interface should be taken seriously, with creativity and attention from the designer.
So how do YOU, as a UX/UI designer, design simple web pages without losing energy and charm? What are the design skills and taboos of web minimalist design?
The following small series is combined with the latest web design examples to analyze and explain the related skills, taboos and ideas of simple page design style:
First, what exactly is minimalist design?
Minimalist design style, also known as minimalist design style, as the name implies, is to use as few components or components as possible, to achieve human-computer interaction of websites and software applications.
Of course, this does not mean that designers can simplify web or software interfaces so much that they lose their charm and vitality, making them hard to understand and even more complex to use. Instead, eliminate redundant components or modules and use the fewest elements to achieve the best user experience and sales results.
This is in line with the design philosophy of Mockplus, a prototyping tool frequently used by Xiaobian, which seeks to design, build, test, share and iterate web or software application prototypes more quickly and easily. Mockplus is very useful for creating simple and attractive web designs.
As shown, simple style of web design, simple and intuitive.
Secondly, why choose simple design style?
After reading about the concept of simple web design style, I hope to learn more about why it is so popular among designers. And what are the specific effects of minimalist web design style? Don’t worry, you can understand the utility of this web design style in a few simple ways:
1. Simple web design is more simple and easy to use, and the user experience is very pleasant
2. Minimalist design is simple and highly compatible, making it easier for software or web responsive design
3. Simple and clean interface design is more in line with today’s fast-paced user needs
4. Simple and clean web design, faster loading, can effectively reduce the page jump rate
5. Simple and low noise interface design makes it easier for users to focus on the interface content and product functions, thus improving product sales
In short, minimalist design style is a design method that can not only meet the needs of users, but also reflect the creativity and uniqueness of designers. Not only is it a hot UI design trend today, it will continue to be for quite some time. Therefore, as an APP or Web UX/UI designer, it is essential to understand and learn relevant skills and to selectively use a minimalist design style in combination with the site, software or product characteristics.
As shown in the picture, simple and low noise interface design makes it easier to display web products and increase their sales.
How to embody the beauty of simplicity in web interface design?
Since simple design plays such an important role in improving user experience pleasure, loading speed, page compatibility and product sales, how can we reflect the beauty of simplicity in page design? What do the skill of contracted design and taboo have? Next, xiaobian combined with the latest web design examples and xiaobian use of faster, simpler prototyping tools to make relevant examples, for everyone to explain, in the web interface design how to both charm and simplicity of beauty:
1. Use natural white space to highlight software or product features
Different from the purpose of adding white space in paintings to increase the sense of mystery and give the audience enough imagination space, the use of white space (also known as negative space) in web page design is more inclined to reduce interface noise and highlight the interface display content. Let users more naturally focus on the software or product features, services and features, deepen the impression of users, thus increasing product sales.
As shown in the figure, use a lot of white space to highlight the page display content.
Therefore, designers should pay attention to the design and application of natural white space in interface design, and guide users to click or buy.
2. Skillfully use colors to make the interface simple and visually attractive
The choice and application of simple colors does not increase the complexity of the page, but on the contrary helps to divide the interface into functional modules, making the interface simple and visually appealing. In this regard, we can try from the following aspects:
* Simple color or color scheme selection and application, improve the visual appeal of the interface
Minimalist interface design does not mean colorless or monotonous use of one color or black and white. In fact, even simple use of one color, combined with changes in color gradients, saturation, and transparency, can make an entire web design simple and visually appealing.
Therefore, in minimalist web design, designers can try to choose and apply one, multiple and the same color system to simplify interface design and enhance its visual appeal.
As shown, simply choose the same color palette and combine shapes with background images to make the page visually rich and outstanding.
Of course, colorific choice also should hold a degree. Too much color application, but less effort, make the interface more complex.
And, even if it is popular with each passing day simple black and white match color choice, clever union stylist originality, also can atmosphere vogue.
As shown, simple black and white matching colors can also be fashionable and unique.
* Color blocks can be used to divide interface functions/modules
To simplify page design, color blocks can also be used as interface functions/blocks.
As shown in the figure, use simple color blocks to divide interface functional areas.
In this regard, when prototyping a minimalist interface design using Mockplus, designers can simply drag and drop “shape” components and text-related components, with their color, transparency, and border attributes.
The Mockplus shapes, images, and text components are used to divide the page function modules by different background colors.
* Color contrast, enhance the interface vitality
The use of color attributes (such as color transparency and saturation), shapes, and contrast between light and dark colors can not only greatly improve the visual effect of the interface, but also enhance the vitality and vitality of the interface.
As shown in the picture, jump color contrast is used to enhance the visual influence of the page.
In short, the simple use of color can simplify a page while enhancing its visual appeal and vitality.
3. Optimized the interface font and typesetting to reflect the interface hierarchy
In addition to color, interface text content, font and typography optimization, can also make the whole page design more concise and clean, intuitive and vivid display of its page hierarchy. Such as:
* Simplify text content to make the interface more intuitive and easy to understand
Use more concise words, sentence patterns or forms (such as subheadings or lists) to simplify the text content of the interface, making the page design easier to understand, intuitive and practical.
As shown, use lists to simplify page text content.
* Skillfully use text attributes/typography to reflect page structure and hierarchy
Good minimalist web design, usually without too many fonts and typography. Simple one or two, combined with text size, color, thickness, line spacing and arrangement position (such as including, parallel arrangement) and other attributes, can also be simple and intuitive to reflect the page structure and hierarchy.
Figure, using text size, font and layout of different page hierarchy.
Designers can easily do this using Mockplus’s single-line text and multi-line text components. Whether it is text color, underline, italics, font, size, alignment, text borders, line spacing, automatic folding, external links, typography and other attributes can be easily implemented, truly “WYSIWYG”.
Therefore, in the design of your web page or software application, in addition to simplifying the text content, also pay attention to the selection and use of text fonts, attributes and typography, highlighting the page level and structure.
4. Interpret the interface text with pictures
Minimalist interface design, the design concept of “less is more” tells us that when thousands of words can not clearly express the expression of meaning, simply add appropriate pictures, more clearly express the designer’s intention, half the work is twice the result.
Figure, the use of pictures more vivid and intuitive interpretation of text.
In terms of image addition, designers can fully try Mockplus’s “Image”, “GIF” component and “My Component Library” and other functions to achieve static, dynamic and batch image addition and optimization. Importing Sketch images, adding and editing batch ICONS, etc., is not a problem.
5. Use grids to differentiate interface functionality and importance
Simple grid design is one of the most commonly used functional/modular divisions in minimalist web design. When consistent grid design is used in software or web design, it can not only succinct and intuitive division and display its functional modules, but also help users form certain reading habits in the process of browsing the page, so as to query the required web content more quickly and smoothly.
As shown in figure, simple grid application, more intuitive division of page function modules.
For grid design, designers can try to use Mockplus’s “grid” and “autofill” functions to batch fill the required interface text or images with one click, solving repetitive tasks at a time.
6. Retain menu and navigation design to optimize user experience
Minimalist design is not about reducing interface parts without restraint. And web menu and navigation design, as an important factor to optimize user experience, even simple style of page design, should not be ignored or deleted. Instead, present navigation or menu design in a more intuitive and recognizable way, such as using links, sidebars, or hidden menu bars to optimize the user experience.
As shown in the figure, retain the menu bar navigation design to guide users to use and improve user experience.
7. Perfect combination of simple design style and other design skills
Minimalist design style, because of its simple and intuitive and flexible design characteristics, in specific design examples, can be easily combined with other design styles and skills, to create a more high-quality web design. For example, designers can try various aspects of the solution:
* The combination of progressive design skills makes the page more concise and intuitive
Progressive design techniques are the design techniques that gradually reveal the functionality of a web page or interface by adding simple components or elements, such as sidebars or hidden menu bars. When users need, they can simply click to expand and learn more about multi-software web page functions. And this point, in essence with the pursuit of simple and intuitive interface simple design style is consistent. Therefore, in the design, can be simply combined.
As shown in the picture, users can simply click the plus sign button in the upper right corner to enter the registration interface, and click the arrow in the lower right corner to view the details of other users. It is a good case that contracted design style and progressive design skill photograph combine.
* The combination of flat design style makes the interface more pictorial
Flat design style, as another popular UI design trend, the pursuit of simple and clean interface, but also make the interface very pictorial. Therefore, the combination of flat design style design, also can be regarded as a good way to improve the interface. The diagram below:
* Integration with different design themes to suit the theme/features of the website or product
Minimalist design can also reflect different themes in the choice of ICONS, colors and images to match the themes or features of different websites or products and deepen the user’s impression.
As shown in the picture, the home page is directly rotated to display product pictures, deepen user impression and improve product sales.
* The combination with the designer’s creativity creates the unique charm of the web page
Simple web design everywhere can reflect the designer’s creativity and intention, pay attention to the combination of design and creativity, to create a unique charm of the web page.
In short, designers need to use their brains to combine different design hotspots, styles or techniques to create simple and unique web designs.
8. Use Web design idioms to make Web design more in line with user “taste”
Idiomatic usage in web design is the result of constant practice, adjustment and improvement by numerous designers according to user needs. It is a design method that meets user’s “taste”. Therefore, designers can directly use some Web design idioms in the process of minimalist design to make the interface more practical.
For example, the use of web navigation idioms (including site ID, search method, utility, way to return to the home page, navigation column and other five basic elements) makes navigation really play its guiding role. As shown in figure:
Or, use the familiar “rectangle + link” approach to design CTA buttons to increase click-through rates. Use the magnifying glass icon or pattern to indicate the interface search function. And using sidebars or hidden menu bars to extend interface functionality.
Use habitual usage to make web design easier for users to distinguish and simplify the operation process. Moreover, in certain situations, the corresponding explanatory text of the design can be omitted without affecting the meaning of the situation, thus simplifying the web design.
9. Pay attention to the details of the interface design and make every part or design play its role
Minimalist design is a design that minimizes redundant components or elements. As a result, designers need to spend as much time as possible optimizing the remaining components or elements so that each component does its job. In short, in practical design cases, focus on the design of details such as logo, color, icon, grid, text typography, selection and addition of geometric graphics and creative design of simple interaction and animation, and expand interface functions.
As shown in the figure, use simple animations or interactions to attract users’ attention.
For example, when prototyping a minimalist web design using Mockplus, you can use its interaction design and interaction state capabilities to add simple interactions or animations to interface buttons, text, or components to optimize the user experience.
In addition, after the interface is opened, the default selection of the Settings, for simplifying the page design, guide or hint users to complete a certain operation, the role is also very obvious.
The devil is in the details, especially when it comes to simple design.
In conclusion, I hope the design examples and techniques listed above can help you with your minimalist web design.
Keep in mind the simple wind design ideas:
Designers in simple style web design, also need to keep in mind some simple design ideas, simplify the whole design process
First, complexity, then simplification
In order to avoid missing some design elements or features, designers can add all the designs they need to the interface one by one, and then simplify them one by one, accurately and steadily.
Of course, in order to compare the effects before and after, Mockplus can be used to quickly make interactive prototypes to test the practicality and effectiveness of the interface design before and after modification one by one. It also provides 8 ways to preview and share, which can be a great way for designers to collect design feedback and suggestions as needed.
Second, pay attention to fine tuning
Simple design style, to a certain extent, is the optimization and competition of designers’ detailed design, so we must pay attention to the fine tuning of the details of the web interface, and then fine tuning.
Then, pay attention to the big picture
While paying attention to detail, don’t forget the overall color, theme, and functionality of the entire web page or software application. Too independent page design, for the software or web page consistency, as well as user fluency, very bad. Therefore, in the design process, pay attention to grasp the overall design, so that the chest has feet.
Finally, prototyping is essential
No matter how innovative and unique the designer’s design is, or simple and intuitive, if it can’t get the user’s recognition, everything is just an empty talk. Therefore, designers should also choose a good prototyping tool (such as the powerful Mockplus) to transform simple web designs into interactive prototypes and test their actual utility and feasibility.
Mockplus’s powerful component library and style library, for example, are great for designers to add, bookmark, reuse, and share groups or component designs they need. Its library of over 3,000 vector ICONS makes it easy for designers to add and design simple ICONS, buttons and logos. In addition, the new team management and collaboration capabilities of the team and enterprise versions are also very useful for improving the team collaboration efficiency of minimalist web design.
Conclusion:
Although minimalist design style for the realization of seamless human-machine communication, improve user experience and increase product sales and brand awareness, play a vital role. However, simple design style is not suitable for all web design. In fact, for some web page types, such as some yellow pages, too simple interface design, it is very likely to reduce the authority and feasibility of the web page, and sometimes may even make users confused. Therefore, designers should make choices based on the characteristics of the website or product, target customers and audience.
In conclusion, I hope the latest design examples, techniques, taboos, ideas and Mockplus analyzed above can help you design a more intuitive and quality simple style web page.