“I strive for two things in design: simplicity and clarity. Great design is born of those two things.”
Lindon Leader, creator of FedEx logo.
A design leaves an impression on the mind of its user. It conveys the brand message to the world and uplifts the brand. A great design gets crafted by amalgamating several graphical ingredients like contrast, alignment, balance, proximity, and repetition. Simplicity is an element that precedes others. It is that ingredient in the recipe which changes the mood. Simplicity separates a good design from the rest.
Let us understand how being simple is the key to a great design and how it makes a design timeless!
Understanding simplicity as a philosophy of a great design is the first and foremost thing a designer should do. Keeping it straight and simple always works well. Amateurs often create designs which initially incite interest. However, it takes years to understand what it lacks. Simplicity is directly proportionate to clarity which is equivalent to a great user experience. Ultimately, it brings balance to a design and makes it impactful for users.
The human mind has been hard-wired in a way that it identifies understood functions and patterns. If a user can easily find the clickable links on a website, the transition from A to B is smooth; it is because the design is simple. Incorporating too many things in the design often plunders user experience. Editing a piece of design and rendering it in a simplistic way only comes with years of experience.
As a designer, one needs to view from the eyes of the audience. Usually, structure and order are best friends. One must create a design wherein these two elements gel together to give out a powerful message. Otherwise, the user gets puzzled how to operate and navigate through the design, which may even be a website, and spoils the brand experience.
2 Ways to Achieve Simple Designs
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
Leonardo Da Vinci
Here are two ways to accomplish simplicity in design.
- Clarity
Maintaining clarity in your design is the key to ultimate consumer satisfaction. Think about the purpose and requirements of the user, create the user interface accordingly. Adding too many elements digresses user’s attention from the core actions. The user will struggle to navigate through the design. Streamline the design functions and provide a more enjoyable user experience.
- Automation
The expert designers use the law of automatic user response. It is the natural inclination of a user to perform actions, commonly known to the human brain, without putting in much effort. Products across the world that have been working on these patterns and they have automated the user response. Automation is using this functionality in design with scanty changes over time to let users adapt.
To make a great design, a designer should think like a user. They should break down the components and then stick them together with the adhesive of simplicity. Taking away the complexities and adding simplicity is not an easy task. Follow the guidelines like preserving clarity, narrowing the options, automating user response and fulfilling the user needs.
