Minimalism has a sexy appeal that some people find irresistable. You might conjure up ideas of something that is sleek and spartan, something streamlined and highly efficient. Pop culture had a small love affair with minimalism – with the rise of personalities like The Minimalists and Marie Kondo – who spoke of the idea: Better Living Through Having Less Stuff. 

While the idea of minimalism can apply to just about anything, when it comes to design so many of us tend to think in the same terms. The minimalism behind design might get you thinking about monotone colors or only needing a single button to do everything. But a minimal aesthetic doesn’t mean much if the product doesn’t accomplish the one thing it needs to do: satisfy your user. True minimalist design serves the end user – everything else is just filler. 

The design of anything – from the layout of the room, your company logo, or your flagship product – is only truly minimal if it satisfies. When your customer is satisfied, everything else tends to fall in line, and you eventually find out how true satisfaction is sustainable.

Removing Features vs. Reducing Excess

I came across a YouTube video of someone who was giving up their smartphone for 30 days. Instead of the feature-rich device they used every day, they adopted a “Light Phone” – a stripped down version of a cell phone resembling a Palm Pilot from the late 90s. The Light Phone had a monochromatic screen and minimal applications – phone calls, texting, alarm clock, music, and – for some – navigation (although the directions were sometimes tough to follow). I can’t imagine anyone in my immediate circle giving up their phone for a day, much less 30, much less replacing it with a device that did the bare minimum. The world around us demands we have a smartphone on us so we can access everything from a cab ride, shopping for groceries, paying for movie tickets, and connecting with friends.

Is this Light Phone a minimalist product? Probably not. Of all things, it’s a niche product that serves a very small demographic. Removing distracting features is only effective if the removed features are in excess to the function of what you need the phone to do. And “what I need my phone to do” varies widely from one person to the next.

For example: with the EU standardizing USB ports across new electronic devices, manufacturers are shipping their products without chargers. Of course, you can still buy a charger if you need one. Chances are, you already have a cable that will fit the port perfectly. When one end of a cable is standard, you remove the need for a user to carry around several cords – this is a reduction of excess which will end up saving customers to the tune of 250 million euro a year. Not to mention, it will prevent nearly 11,000 tons of e-waste each year.

When a product is only designed to do one thing, it tends to stick around for generations. They aren’t solving an imaginary need or trying to convince people to buy the newest and most updated version. With the TV example: you no longer have to introduce the idea of “get content anywhere” to your audience. The new introduction might be “get content anywhere you are at any time” – on your phone! In the middle of a trans-Atlantic flight! 

This is what happens when you design for the end user instead of trend – you get a minimal product that lasts forever. The product isn’t “television” or “tablets” – it’s “content delivery.” The longer your customer knows this product the longer they want it to last. This is the kind of emotional connection a truly minimal design can create. 

And who doesn’t want a customer for life? For the longer you can keep your core customer base satisfied, the more you can learn about what they need. This is the line every leader needs to walk: how to solve more problems with fewer tools and features. Only expanding when you absolutely need to will keep your business streamlined and profitable – the benefits of minimalism!