http://csa.22web.net/
This was my first actual design for a website. Though, I have been learning HTML/CSS/jQuery for only a month, I did kind of like what I made.
But, it got rejected for being too minimalistic and I was said the minimalist design is not charming enough. I have looked at department of computer science websites from standford/MIT, and they all believe in getting the content out in a no non-sense manner.
So, does minimalist design really work, or as some article recently pointed out (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1659020), simplicity is over-rated?
Ask HN: Minimalistic web design works?
1–10 of 31 posts
Re: Ask HN: Minimalistic web design works?
#2Re: Ask HN: Minimalistic web design works?
#3FWIW: I don't really like the design but I can't quite say why. And I tend to like minimalist design. As best I can guess: It feels to me like your page lacks a sense of structure. I think giving something a sense of structure using minimalist design is quite challenging. When it is done well, it's wonderfully elegant. When it's not done well, there is just no there there. I guess.
Re: Ask HN: Minimalistic web design works?
#4Simplicity makes things harder. Pare away elements and what remains has less margin for error, and must be more effective. "Simplicity" isn't a license to put a couple of 's and a
on a page and call it a day.
In your case, there is neither a grid nor a measure that makes the placement of elements on the page make sense. Text is haphazard. The "contents" of each section are stuffed into an inexplicable jQuery scroller. Nav elements are 18px and subheds are 14px; there is minimal contrast between elements. This probably wouldn't cut it as a blog template.
I like the restraint with color though. Color is one place where good-simple is easier than good-complex.
Department websites at universities are also probably not a good benchmark for your work. They tend to be utilitarian. Design is a secondary concern.
Re: Ask HN: Minimalistic web design works?
#5just as an fyi, Malwarebytes throws an error when trying to access the 22web.net address. Make sure the site's safe
Re: Ask HN: Minimalistic web design works?
#6There is a vast difference between simplicity and minimalist.
Minimalist is very bare; the content has to stand strongly on it's own.
Simplistic designs don't have to be minimalist - just simple. So fewer colours, less complexity and so on.
People generally (in my experience anyway) prefer simple to minimalist.
Re: Ask HN: Minimalistic web design works?
#7Minimalism fans should check out the following (they're up to 7 galleries now):
Re: Ask HN: Minimalistic web design works?
#8I don't mind the look too much but I do hate the all ajax navigation that gratuitously breaks the back button.
I also don't like the fake scrollbar and the arbitrarily small content window that wastes half of my window height--I've got a large screen, I shouldn't have to look at your content through a peephole.
I personally like the muted colors and lack of gradient/round corners/drop shadows everywhere but I can see it being criticized as "too plain". Minimalist doesn't == good design, necessarily.
Re: Ask HN: Minimalistic web design works?
#9Simplicity makes things harder. Pare away elements and what remains has less margin for error, and must be more effective. "Simplicity" isn't a license to put a couple of 's and a on a page and call it a day. In your case, there is neither a grid nor a measure that makes the placement of elements on the page make sense. Text is haphazard. The "contents" of each section are stuffed into an inexplicable jQuery scroller…
If I'm honest the "restraint of colour" is really a lack of colour. It needs colour - I fall foul of this all the time as I don't mind grey-scale colour schemes but it really needs at least 1, preferably two colours.
Re: Ask HN: Minimalistic web design works?
#10Simplicity makes things harder. Pare away elements and what remains has less margin for error, and must be more effective. "Simplicity" isn't a license to put a couple of 's and a on a page and call it a day. In your case, there is neither a grid nor a measure that makes the placement of elements on the page make sense. Text is haphazard. The "contents" of each section are stuffed into an inexplicable jQuery scroller…
If I'm honest the "restraint of colour" is really a lack of colour. It needs colour - I fall foul of this all the time as I don't mind grey-scale colour schemes but it really needs at least 1, preferably two colours.
Restrained greyscale (maybe 2-3 values plus black) and a strong accent color is the "little black dress" of web design, and an easy way for non-designers to produce designs that, while probably unspectacular, will at least look competant.