One of the biggest challenges of building a website is making design choices. On the one hand you want to make your target audience happy and create an attractive website for them and on the other hand, you want a website that will reflect your personality. When you want to err on the side of caution, going for minimalist and simple website templates might be the more logical choice.
By simple, we don’t mean boring and plain, however. Minimalism has a special place in modern website design because it has the ability to keep the focus on your message and create a huge impact on the reader. It is devoid of fluff and flash so your audience is not distracted or confused about what you’re trying to communicate.
What makes a website design simple but not boring?
Negative space
Of all the simple website design ideas, nothing describes minimalism better than negative space. The best way to draw focus towards a particular object on a website is to add a lot of white space (or negative space) around it. In the website example below, notice how the text is surrounded by a huge amount of white space. It’s safe to say that the user’s eye will automatically move towards the text.
There is elegance in the simplicity brought by negative space. This is why it’s a preferred style for fashion websites and brands that want to appear exclusive.
Large photography
A simple and minimalist website may tend to look too sterile and impersonal. To bring back that personalized touch and make it look comforting, we recommend adding full-width images that look strong but will not overshadow your text content. When choosing a photo, however, don’t forget minimalist characteristics - ample negative space such as expansive skies or empty white walls, for instance. Try to stay away from busy-looking photos because they tend to distract and confuse the viewer, defeating the purpose of using simple website templates.
Here’s another pro tip: add page animations on your image backgrounds for a more dramatic touch. Play around with the page scroll animations on your Strikingly site editor.
Interesting Typography
While minimalist websites are known for communicating the message in as little words as possible, it’s impossible to remove text from a site completely. With this in mind, draw attention to your website’s text content by using dramatic typography. An interesting choice of font styles puts emphasis on your message.
Choose your website fonts wisely. Strikingly’s site editor features a wide range of font styles that you can use on your site to emphasize your text content. If you can’t find the style you’re looking for or if you have a different font in mind, you can also upload your own custom style and use it on your site. Make sure that your choice of fonts do not affect the readability of your text or your message will not resonate well with your audience. Fancy script fonts may not have a place in the body text but they will be great for headers and title text.
Simple navigation
A simple website does not leave the reader wondering what to do with your site. The site has to be intuitive. Everything that you want your target audience to do on your website has to be spelled out in engaging calls to action and other navigational elements. Your contact information must be readily available if one of the main goals of your website is to get people to reach you.
Overall, a minimalist site design, when done correctly, will keep your website looking fresh and engaging to your readers. Strip your website of the unnecessary clutter and opt for a simple site design today.
