Oscar Ling-Cottey - Illustration & Visual Media In recent years, minimalism, a type of design that aims for simplicity and objectivity, has become increasingly prevalent and could now be described as the status quo for modern design. However, in the age of the Covid-19 pandemic, where people were subjected to staying indoors, we were able to experiment more in the design space with our newfound abundance of time. Additionally, with technology advancing and design software, such as Adobe Photoshop and InDesign, now much more accessible than it was 20 years ago, practically anyone with a computer can be a designer. This has led to a shift in the design paradigm and the resurgence of a once-forgotten medium - anti-design. Design is subjective, so it cannot necessarily be measured - some may judge how well something is designed based on a feeling, and others may judge it based on a specific set of rules. Acclaimed industrial designer, Dieter Rams, set a president for the latter by introducing 10 principles for what he believes are the characteristics for good design, which are as follows:
Because of Rams’ extensive knowledge of the industry and the versatility these principles possess, it is no wonder why many regard them in the design world similarly to that of the 10 commandments in the Christian Bible. However, Rams’ body of work leans heavily on the side of minimalism (Figure 1), so his principles carry less weight on the side of a maximalist type of design, such as anti-design. Figure 1 – ‘SK 4 Phonosuper’ designed by Dieter Rams and Hans Gugelot Anti-design offers an escape from the seemingly oppressive rules of minimalism and allows for a more unorthodox approach, such as purposefully using clashing colour palettes, illegible typography, and obscure image placement. This is not to be confused with bad design, however, but there is a fine line between the two, and knowing how to successfully execute the former still requires a keen eye and technical skill. David Carson serves as a prime example for this as he notably abandons all templates in favour of a ‘messy’, collage-esque aesthetic, whilst still conveying a cohesive message (Figure 2). Figure 2 – REC Festival street poster designed by David Carson As with all aspects of design there must be a balance; sway too far in one direction and disaster ensues. Figure 3 is a poor attempt at anti-design simply because it is trying too hard to be anti-design. The poster has all the required elements that a successful design of that medium would need, but its scattered use of disconnected ‘ClipArt’ emphasises a lack of consideration for its composition, making it difficult to take seriously. Figure 3 – Promotional poster for Lounge Neo nightclub designed by Yuka Kawaguchi a.k.a Gucci Maze On the opposite end of the spectrum, where minimalism has gone too far, you run the risk of your work becoming oversimplified and impractical. Take Google for example, who have become so minimalistic in their design approach for their application icons that they are now almost indistinguishable from each other, and so without any clear indication it can be difficult to decipher which one’s which (Figure 4). This is frustrating from a user experience point of view when quickly switching between apps on your smartphone and ending up tapping on the wrong one. Figure 4 – Google application icons Just like all types of design, both anti-design and minimalistic design are only useful in specific applications and contexts that match their respective themes. For example, anti-design is rarely ever used in luxury brand image because it evokes feelings of rebellion and playfulness. Minimalistic design is much better suited in this instance since it conveys sophistication and elegance. Technology giant, Apple, is exemplary in this notion because not only do their products have a premium look and feel to them, the product packaging provides a sensory experience synonymous with luxury, making the consumer feel special (Figure 5). Figure 5 – iPhone 13 Pro Max and Box In conclusion, although both anti-design and minimalism have valid staying power in the creative space, anti-design feels like more of a fleeting trend due to its sudden spike in popularity after being relatively dormant since the 1960’s. Minimalism’s presence transcends across decades due to its versatility and ease of application across different media, and shows no signs of disappearing. Currently, there is a definite need for both types of design due to their high demand, but it is only a matter of time before another design type comes along and replaces anti-design to become the next hot new trend.
Bibliography Figure 1: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/30/t-magazine/dieter-rams-10-iconic-designs.html Figure 2: http://www.davidcarsondesign.com/ Figure 3: http://www.yutakawaguchi.com/works/ Figure 4: https://techcrunch.com/2020/10/06/googles-new-logos-are-bad/ Figure 5: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Apple-iPhone-13-Pro-Review-Bombastic-smartphone-with-minor-weaknesses.572211.0.html
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February 2023
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