Kalen Nicole

Around November of last year, me and my best friend Cheyenne started to collectively notice this minimalism trend. Cheyenne has a background in psychology, we both studied advertising in college, and we both currently work in communications. A convo about the pervasiveness of minimalism was bound to happen, but neither of us expected it to get so deep.

She started DMing me any article she came across that attempted to piece together the phenomenon that was happening in visual media. It felt like we were conspiracy theorist trying to find the connecting links to something no one else was noticing, let alone caring about. In fact, the opposite was true- people LOVED minimalist design ie. Welcome to Your Bland New World: Why do disruptive startups slavishly follow an identikit formula of business model, look and feel, and tone of voice? Because it works, sort of.

We lamented over changing logos, and we tried to understand how the preference for minimalism was creeping up in other areas of our lives- decorating and home-making aesthetics, clothing trends, IRL and internet-based relationships. It all seemed like a new wave of rejecting capitalism in which Americans realize that they do not value choice, but instead the illusion of choice and therefore limit their options to have a sense of control over their lives and destinies…

Today, I read an article on Medium which links several of our hypothesis together, Is the end near for flat logo design? And I’ve deducted that minimalism- it’s not about aesthetic or nostalgia- it’s about user-experience.

But what happens when we give up art in exchange for function or convenience? Personally, I’ll never know because I’m all about the looks, that’s why I have to submit so many drafts, but I digress….

Minimalism and homogeneity isn’t happening in a vacuum. It’s a phenomenon that was triggered by a desire for increased functionality, then adopted by global influencers, and now it’s become commodified and repackaged as a sign of affluence and taste.

This article by Kyle Chayka for The Guardian offers a thought-provoking analysis on what drives our desire for minimalism and the whether champions of minimalism such Marie Kondo and Steve Jobs could actually be considered minimalists.

Minimalism positions itself to be a rejection of over-consumption, but I believe it’s just changing what is being consumed. It’s a switch from consuming things, which we associate with success to consuming ideas, philosophies and trends that we associate with success.

“Minimalism was a brand to identify with,” Kyle Chayka. Chayka goes onto examine the minimalist persona of Steve Jobs, whose seemingly simple aesthetic outpriced the imaginations of most working class folks. Chayka also says that many of the things we deem minimal have an illusion of efficiency and have a much higher impact on the broader environment, ie. the environmental and social consequences of iPhone production.

“Dissatisfaction with materialism and the usual rewards of society is not new….. It is defined by the sense that the surrounding civilisation is excessive, and has thus lost some kind of original authenticity, which must be regained,” Kyle Chayka.

Minimalism is an segment of transcendentalism, a a life philosophy that rejects most of the social and physical standards of life in search for a more spiritual and fulfilling existence; think The Alchemist, Bartleby, the Scrivener, the book of Ecclesiastes, Into the Wild.

The key difference between transcendentalism and minimalism, is that minimalism is trendy- it’s socially accepted and encouraged, it will center you in society rather than ostracizing you. Transcendentalism is a personal and often isolating journey. It is a lifelong pursuit of meaning and higher calling, that is often discouraged in society.

Design and social trends ebb and flow, and many predict that minimalism design we eventually swing back to detailed images and layouts. Socially, this pandemic has forced many of us to adapt to minimalism in at least some aspect of our lives, spending habits, eating habits (yes to my repetition of roasted brussels spouts and fettucine alfredo, a recipe I have on lock), social circles, destination choices, and the options we have in occupying our free time. I think some of these minimalistic habits we’ve had to maintain to increase our safety over the last year will stick around awhile; and because of the enormity and pervasiveness of the threat we’ve faced, our personal priorities have been re-evaluated individually and collectively.

How we see minimalism showing up in design in the next few years depends on how much we are willing to adapt our sense of art and beauty to the cold calculated demands of convenience and technological progression- disguised as efficiency, surnamed AI…. But I also think the pandemic has lead us to question the other sacrifices we’ve made in the name of being efficient.

And now that I’ve had more time to reflect, I have wondered why I was always in a hurry? Keeping pace wasn’t worth me skimping on depth, meaning, mastery.

Chayka notes, in history’s most challenging moments, “accumulating more stuff loses its appeal.” And so here I am, sharing my thoughts, trying to link phenomenon, while also wondering what furniture and art work would really make my bedroom feel complete….

Do you consider yourself a minimalist? Why or why not? Tell me more below!