Simplicity – Solace in a complex world

Simplicity in design is more important than ever, it's understandable considering the frenetic pace of life most people endure. Clear no-nonsense design is becoming the holy grail of graphical communication. In the case of websites, the ability to convey exponentially expanding content in a way that can hook the minute attention span of the average user is producing some interesting and unlikely approaches.

Academy.

I can not over state how much I love this design. Although it is not entirely intuitive to use it certainly grabs your attention and holds it. The random grids that the javascript creates look very cool. Turning the content into a work of art in itself. Designed and coded by Andreas Pihlström it's an example of super creative coding. In fact Andreas has some very interesting approaches to the web, most recently his ingenious social feed app AIOF which combines all your social networks into one very simplistic feed. Absolute genius.

Pete Usborne

It doesn't get cleaner or more considered than this. The use of white space is exceptional, the simple grid that displays the portfolio is crafted to breathe, the type is set perfectly to balance the open airy, feel. The project pages use a very subtle, creative grid layout that is offset and unique to each project. Each section concentrates on showing the content in the best possible light and this tailored approach works wonders in conveying the designers attention to detail. The use of a very simple lightbox style overlay also fits immaculately with the sites dimensions. This is a master class in page layout. Stunning.

Redfenix.

This site really does make the most of it's fairly minimal content. A horizontal banner runs across the site giving high def images that set of the simplistic content layout perfectly. Although this banner is not always content based it does a brilliant job of contrasting the content on the page. Once again whitespace is used in a very considered, thought out way giving the site a classy, understated feel.

Team Sky.

I think this is a really classy way to promote a cycling team. The oversized menu bar holds some brilliantly styled super menus and I love the movement on the latest news slider headlines. The content below this uses black and white imagery to great effect giving everything an air of distinction. In the world of cycling, famed for it's fluoro colours and gaudy graphics this site is a boon. The only thing other than the content that hints at cycling is the tarmac background.

Mclaren F1.

Mclaren have used some really clever javascript techniques to create a site with a intuitive, useable content flow. Page items are displayed in iframes through shadowbox, which provides a wonderful sense of depth and clarity. The menu bar hides itself when not in use maximising focus on the content while also keeping things uncluttered and clean. The use of a data type font (saxmono) across the board adds greatly to the look of the site and although the site uses allot of javascript to achieve these effects it still loads quickly, which goes some way to show how meticulously well coded it is. The site also has a brilliant data feed that runs on race weekends giving fans an exclusive insight into the teams inner workings. This site is not just an exquisite design but also a flawless example in modern coding.

Yeti cycles.

The actual user interface of the site could not be more simple. White on Black with a fold out navigation and some main links combined with a very large content area which as you move through the site adapts to specific content seamlessly combining stunning video productions, photos, interview, specifications. The design is gives maximum focus on the content and  the integration and quality of different media forms is awe inspiring.

Adidas.

Adidas have used an expanding Flash grid on their home page. It serves well at engaging the user and drawing attention through movement. Each grid square holds a fair bit of information and then directs you to another html site. The titlebar is the only element that remains constant over the companies vast network of sites. This umbrella page is a really effective way of drawing all the brands other sites and styles together into one place.

Audi.

As you would expect for a company famed for simplistic, efficient design Audis website does not disappoint. With a very clean minimal design which neatly fits a widescreen monitor a central content window provides the WOW. The text buttons for each model of car fold out to a submenu which shows all models in that range graphically. This focuses on the products and gives a very clear and intuitive way of finding what your looking for, the 'Modelle' supermenu is a work of art in itself. All other menus are kept to simple text link and the whole site never uses more than 4 colour in its interface making the images and videos jump of the page all the more.

Apple.

Now no article on simplistic web design would be complete without mentioning Apple. There website (and products) have influenced so many to simplify and streamline. It doesn't get much more simple than one menu bar, add to this a content flow that is beautifully represented and implemented the Apple site is one that many try to emulate. However I would not say it is not the design of the site itself which makes it such a success, it's down to the products and the quality of the imagery that illustrates them.