In a post today on 37 signals by Matt, the subject of Simplicity making the rounds was looked at by citing a post by Mark Hurst. In his blog good experience, Mark Hurst recently posted Simplicity gets its media moment. There certainly seems to be a KISS craze going on amongst the stupid and not so stupid. Mark points out the recent upturn in the fortunes of simplicity with regards to wider and web media exposure. He points to a number of publications having simplicity motivated front covers and features. I agree and have noticed this in varying forms including advertising and print. My personal favourite of the week being the Yakult advertising campaign running on UK TV. On that note if slightly annoying sound wise the Yakult website and with note to Ask the oracle in the play section, is actually a good marketing website example. Large companies are also jumping on the designer laden boat of simplicity. It sure is rather crowded for something so simple.
Is this just another media and design craze? Or is simplicity really the new black? In the overly complicated world we are hurled around it is no wonder that we crave something simple. If you look to even a life 10 years ago it seems so much less complicated. Maybe this craving for simplicity is then about the "good ole days".
I think it comes from the complexity of the world and the constant visual saturation we get at every turn. Our sense are on constant onslaught. The craze for simplicity does focus more on the visual, but I can see the tide changing in other sense areas. I have always been of the minimalist simple inclination myself. I recall not a long time ago being called less of a designer by a few due to my tendency to white space and simplicity. I tried to tow the line and conform – as usual all this lead to was not being happy with my results. I now just follow what I feel and take most trends with a rather hefty does of designer salt (this might be rightly or wrongly).
I may be inclined to see this as a lot of people who once shuddered at white space and simplicity, now jumping on that little tug boat a few of us were having a nice party on. I don’t though. I see it actually as a really positive step. I am cautious as to how long it will be before there is a new black. This is also combined with a logical hope. I believe that it is only natural to distill back to the root in a world online and offline. I see this with those web applications and websites now disputely branded as "Web 2.0" (best I don’t get started on argh Web 2.0 bashing again).
A rather smiling point of Mark’s post was his reference to the site December with a guide to simplifying your life. I agree such a cluttered interface is hardly a good advocate for simple life. If you can get beyond that I really like some of the tips though (I seem to have some form of addiction of late for sites like these).
It comes down to a linking of online and offline life that is coming to be present. For those of us working online the two have been joined by need for a while. Lately, I see so many people who have never logged on clicking mice and poking their heads into cyberspace. Along with this comes a time management and life complexity. You see a lot of sites with "life hacks" – something I admit to liking (always wanting a new way to organise my paper clips). Maybe, design is now catching onto this linking. A good site isn’t just about looking great – it is also about working well. In a competitive market of net saturation we look for the useful and if it can give us a bit of a break then we lap it up.
So, what about this from a web design perspective? Does this all boil down to web designers finally realising you don’t have to throw everything into one site? I think it does. Everyone when they start web design has the throw everything at it as it might be my last website urge. Once you’ve done that first frankenstein monster site it fades though. With every site you learn that it isn’t going to be the last thing you ever do. As you refine what you do a focus comes. Is the change in a turn to simplicity just a larger scale version of this. As we all have access to better inspiration and information, are we not just learning from the past mistakes and mass refining to simplicity? I think in part this is happening.
I think it might be the next Web 2.0 saga hype tripe. I’ve been hearing warning drums as people jump onto the boat with regards to simplicity. I am trying to keep hoping it is a sign to come and here to stay. I think I will stop my cynical brain and just take hope in the fact that I like this potential fad. It’s rare you like one after all.
Does this all boil down to web designers finally realising you don’t have to throw everything into one site? absolutely think that is the case. I can”t help but grin when I think of the nostalgia I feel for those old sites everyone (myself included) used to make with all the animated gifs they could find. Mailboxes with wings flapping, a guestbook opening everywhere, floating snowflakes on the screen, mouse trailers, rotating divider bars, and more colors for the text than you could possibly count. I like to remember it in much the same way that I recall the jewlery of the 80”s (the more you could wear the better, and who cared if anything matched), but at the same time, I cringe when I actually see those sites being made now. I have to admit that I have really grown to love clean lines and lots of open page real estate not just for standards and good design – but on a purely aesthetically pleasing level.
Rotating gifs proves that not all things come back in fashion …… thankfully. Ah the mailbox memories