The cyclical nature of trends in design, especially in branding and packaging, has been revving up in speed lately. Trends change from one thing to another with such speed it’s harder to keep up each year. From the millennial pink that took over everything a few years ago to the wacky 70s-inspired typography still having its moment in the limelight right now, minimalism is the most significant and visible trend in branding and packaging currently, as more and more brands strip back their looks. But is the “flatification” movement a passing fad, or a natural part of the evolution that comes from an ever-growing need for the digital presence of brands and modernization, or is it a symptom of a larger need for simplification in a world in turmoil?
Does minimalism add a sleek and stylish touch, or is it just plain and simple?
Minimalism in branding and packaging is seen as the simplification of elements, and the flatification of those elements left. Shapes, form, illustrations, colors, and type, that is felt as unnecessary or useless, are left out. Only the bare minimum is kept that still can convey the brand message. Minimalism as a tool has long been used for example in wayfinding or flag design, but lately, it’s found its way into our everyday consumer product branding and packaging design.
Modern brands have only around a split second to make an impression before consumers’ attention is called elsewhere, it’s smarter to choose minimalism, as it’s a fact that a simpler design requires less brain processing in order to fully process it.
For such a long time brands were fighting for the attention of consumers through loud colors, intricate designs, crazy slogans, and bold patterns, the public became overloaded with visual information. And along with digitalization, as the amount of information we consume daily has grown massively, the content and message need to be simplified. Modern brands have only around a split second to make an impression before consumers’ attention is called elsewhere, it’s smarter to choose minimalism, as it’s a fact that a simpler design requires less brain processing in order to fully process it. So it seems that minimalism is the way of the future – as all those SciFi movies already told us years ago!
Below you can see fifteen examples of minimalism in action in various branding and packaging concepts, for you to judge for yourself if the trend is sleek & stylish, or plain & simple! Click here, for more BRANDING+PACKAGING inspiration.
