38% of visitors will stop browsing if the website layout is unattractive, while the average user needs less than 50 milliseconds to form an opinion about the website.
Minimal(ist) website design is becoming somewhat of an art form. We’ve all heard the famous “less is more”, but it’s a design principle that’s easier said than done.
Although minimalistic tendencies are still most favorable, the tech advances open up a slew of fancy possibilities that are getting harder and harder to resist.
Being attractive, however, is not the only goal as the best minimal website designs benefit the users with faster page load times, seamless responsiveness and smooth and simple UI design.
With that said, here are the top 10 best minimal designs that are both inviting, eye-pleasing and most importantly, easy to use.
Standout features:
Studio format is a Paris-based independent design agency that creates and develops unique brand identities and custom-tailored digital solutions.
The studio pays utmost attention to the user experience, putting people at the heart of every project. The first and most important example of this principle is their self-made website.
Studio format’s website is the perfect incarnation of the concurrent minimalistic design trends. It sports an effective, albeit simplistic navigation that is both stylish and easy to steer, guiding visitors to effortlessly find what they’re looking for.
The combination of the ample negative space, large typography, creative cursor, subtle but nonetheless noticeable sidebar manages to wow visitors but also frame all the individual elements into a structured, unsurprising visual hierarchy.
Studio format proves that they’re fully aware users should be able to go to any page in a maximum of two or three clicks. They just added a pinch of panache to make the user journey enjoyable and not just efficient.
Standout features:
A multi-disciplinary designer and architect, Neri Oxman, is renowned for the foundation of the Mediate Matter Group at MIT where she pioneered the field of “Material Ecology”, fusing technology and biology to deliver incredible designs that align with the principles of ecological sustainability.
The superstar designer that has intrigued the likes of Bjork and Brad Pitt, is calling for a fundamental change in how we perceive design and Nature. Her website, courtesy of Olya Ostrichenko epitomizes her unique design philosophy. The minimal tendencies, coupled with elusive animation, give off the feeling as if the website itself is part of Oxman’s artistic composition.
Not only does it prominently showcase various projects, but it also feels like a digital ecosystem inhabited by silky builders whose threads encompass the majority of the user journey.
One of the website’s distinguishing features is the unique, parallax scroll effect. It uses the site’s symbol, the silk moth, as a guide, leading the way through striking visuals/projects.
Standout features:
Atomle is not just another design agency. In their own words:
“We are the outcome of 10 years of building design systems and focuses on the atomic methodologies provided by science and used by some of the greatest minds in the kosmos.”
Atomle website is as clean and minimal as it gets. The website abandons the notion of complex, asymmetrical layouts, but its essence, its nucleus (pun intended!) is full of meaning - visual or otherwise.
Designed by Ethan Suero, the website relies heavily on the aforementioned “kosmos” aspect – the basic idea behind this Greek word is universal “order” or “arrangement”. The related verb “kosmeo”, meaning “to arrange”, “to furnish” or “to adorn” is basically the mirror image of Atomle’s main brand messaging: create, manage and architect.
The unity of these principles is perfectly visualized in Atomle’s main design element – circle. Even the sans-serif typography (Avant Garde Gothic font similar to the famous Adidas logo), with its straight stems and circular bowls, is designed with perfection and futurism in mind.
The gradient monochromatic color choice strengthens the general idea reminding visitors both of the universe (cosmos) brimming with opportunities or the subatomic space discharging atomic creative energy.
The navigation is simplistic, consisting of a single page and four menu items that stay on the screen as users scroll down towards the last, again, circular CTA in the footer.
Standout features:
Mandy Aileen is a wedding photographer focused on capturing the magic of the lifelong turning point. Her website is less of creation, but rather a visual extension of Brander & Brander, a design agency she founded with her sister Linsey.
The website emits a blissful feeling, the intoxication of a moment that lingers. It doesn’t embrace garish colors. In fact, the subdued hues, or the complete lack of them give away a slightly retro vibe.
Mandy Aileen’s stylish site combines images and classy serif font, resulting in a creative magazine-style homepage, a clean modern design that is easy to navigate.
One of the biggest standouts of this simplistic design is that visitors witness the purpose of a website right from the get-go, without relying on textual bits of content. It eliminates anything that is not absolutely necessary, leaving a lasting impact on visitors’ psyche.
The photographs are the main focal point(s), but they communicate so much more than visual appeal, which is exactly what differentiates Mandy Aileen from just about anyone owning a high-end camera, but also from the competition as well.
Standout features:
Based in Manhattan, Ascent Decisions is an intensive life enrichment experience for college students who have chosen to temporarily pause their studies. It is best defined as multidisciplinary coaching, consulting and educational model.
Using this educational model combined with group coaching, Ascent’s empirically-tested programming helps students gain the confidence necessary to feel in control of their future and make growth-oriented decisions.
Their website, made by Bionic Egg Design is different from the majority of our featured entries because of its relatively restrained design. The layout and style are very clean and professional, with a focus on simplicity.
Although the site is content-rich, alternating blocks of negative space and plentiful photos help accentuate specific messaging that together contribute to the generally positive outlook.
The palette choice is also directed to provide emotional levity, addressing any potential concerns the target audience may have. According to color psychology, yellow is the happiest shade. It’s also energetic and intellectual (ideal match for students). Its relationship with blue hues (tranquility, competence, serenity) creates a feeling of dynamic confidence and focus, which is basically the first “decision” students aim for when considering the Ascent program.
Standout features:
Located in Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital, Herbertus helps businesses grow, build relationships with customers and simply - look good online. How? Just look at their website.
Herbertus sports one of the most influential trends in minimal website design – flat design. Basically, everything from interfaces to various elements has subdued images and complicated effects for a simple, pure, flat design in which colors reign supreme.
Visuals that are there are used only as sneak peek shots, windows to Herbertus’ impressive portfolio/case studies. Clicking on them reveals Herbertus’ full creative potential that pops even more when contrasted to the uniformed dark blue background.
The homepage (top of the funnel that educates the prospect) consists of sufficient copy on the problems Herbertus solves and other UVPs. It helps keep the focus on the benefits for the user. It is further emphasized with the background that switches from dark to light mode once the user starts scrolling.
One thing is for sure, the minimalism displayed here isn’t just another passing trend rooted in simplicity, responsiveness and functionality. In Herbertus’ case, the flat design seems like a charming restraint, barely holding back the company’s unquestionable creative power.
A similar philosophy is evident when looking at the team members. Hovering over their professional-looking photos reveals a quirky, fun-loving side, necessary for delivering solutions that not only address your needs but are equally engaging.
Standout features:
Function & Form is a London-based boutique creative studio specializing in a wide array of digital media. Their approach, evident by their website, is staying agile and responsive, extending their creative reach whilst safeguarding the collaborative relationships with the clients.
Scrolling down the homepage you can see how the studio takes great pride in these relationships. Every single case study is placed, or rather, put on a pedestal, in such a way that showcases both the function and the form (another pun intended!).
The studio lives up to its name as it balances the two aspects, especially when it comes to its native design. The website is a textbook example of minimalism. Prevalent negative space accentuates every bit of content effortlessly, however, the user journey is not passive.
Aside from the animated portfolio, the website engages the audience with the convenient dark/light mode switch above the fold. The younger, millennial audience spending most of their free time on the phone prefers the dark mode, while the older demographics probably favor the more “paper-like” interface.
Function & Form offers both - Function and form.
Standout features:
Lupus Art Net is a Zagreb-based company that specializes in web design, web development, SEO and web marketing.
When it comes to web design and development, their main focus is optimizing websites for all available screen sizes and devices and smooth, user-friendly navigation. Lupus Art Net’s very own website personifies this effort with a neat and simplistic web design that offers an enjoyable ride down to the conversion funnel.
The website’s sticky main menu ensures seamless navigation, easily noticeable upon landing. A simple menu points to six sections, half of which hide dropdown subcategories. What prevents the abundant offering to feel cluttered is a serene color choice. As users hover their mouse over it, each menu item is highlighted with a prevalent lime green which improves consistency in UX.
United with the company’s symbol, wolf (lupus), the color communicates Lupus Art Net’s two main attributes: power and growth – growing your business, your online presence and your company with dominant approach and toolset at the company’s disposal.
The Blippo sans-serif typeface adds another layer to the overall design. Its Bauhaus style unifies and morphs it into an idealistic form that combines function with aesthetics.
Standout features:
Eclipse is an exclusive event, which is not open to everyone and that is apparent as soon as you land on the page. It’s a unique, mysterious experience, a new generation immersion show from Moscow’s ToBeLove agency.
When designing this landing page, CHYRKOV studio didn’t focus solely on the event’s luxurious nature and exclusivity. Drawing heavily from its namesake, the studio aimed to visually present the gala as a rare occurrence akin to Roman Saturnalia or Dionysus festival.
CHYRKOV created a spectacular landing page that immediately immerses users in the atmosphere of mysticism and sophistication of the event, as well as allowing them to buy tickets for the next event.
The entire website design is a seamless union of minimalism and opulence that exudes sophistication and excellence. The black background and rich parallax effects and golden typography on the Eclipse event’s website provide an ultra-modern look that helps design elements stand out, while the messaging dives deep into the mystical and primordial history of storytelling.
This unique combo gives of a fleeting, decadent aura that is sure to entice idiosyncratic FOMO in Eclipse’s target audience.
Standout features:
Boomex is a branding and marketing agency based in Slovakia, working globally. In their own words:
“We believe in the power of brandformance and performance and we know that the best results are achieved when both of these elements are considered. In parallel.”
The agency’s website uses minimalism to demonstrate versatility, adaptability and approach to business, unified in one recognizable element – fluidly animated circle.
As far as the visual dictionary dictates it represents the notions of totality, perfection, infinity, timelessness, all mashed together in cyclic movement on the homepage.
One of the more interesting features is that an amorphous shape casts a shadow, which is a subtle way of communicating tangible solutions, not only focusing on aesthetic appeal.
Scrolling down, the motif of the circle is continued, but what turns heads more than animation and parallax effects is the unique color palette. The prevalent whiteness of the website is sprinkled with various shades of pink that convey tenderness and playfulness, but also command attention, especially when it comes to the sticky CTA and menu navigation.
Standout features:
Founded in Lyon by renowned interior designer and decorator, Kenza Amirouche, Grège aims to guide clients and transform their personal or professional interior design projects to reflect their set goals and values.
Grège's website, designed by Type8 Studio, aims to unify Kenza’s unique, personalized approach with innovative, minimalistic web design tendencies. It is basically the merger of universal beauty with recognizable, unrepeatable traits. Or as Grège would put it:
“The Grège color is that of silk in its raw state, before the elaboration of the precious fabric. The raw silk thread obtained by unwinding the cocoon, which turns into a delicate material, symbolizes for me the essence of the work of an interior design firm. As an interior designer, my role is to transform your property, whatever its condition, into a unique, timeless place that reflects your image.”
At first glance, the resulting website seems pretty basic. The prevalent white background and black text are not a novelty in any way. However, it adds interest with light, animated curved lines, unique serif font and horizontal (and even diagonal) scrolling that completely redefines the browsing experience and user journey.
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