Minimalism - a term used to describe a concept adapted by various artists and designers where a piece is stripped down to its most fundamental features. The phrase, "Less is more", was adopted by architect Ludwig Mies van deer Rohe to describe his work and application of elements which eventually became, "completely absent" (Blaser).
The use of 'white space' is an approach to design I have found myself embracing, not deliberately, but through practice it has proven by majority the most effective and efficient tool to a successful layout. Repeated revision of pieces cluttered with experimental type and colour, images and graphics can easily confuse the initial purpose of a design.
"White space is nothing. White space is the absence of content. White space does not hold content in the way that a photograph or text holds meaning and yet it gives meaning, through context, to both image and text. In fact, white space can make or break the effective transmission of image and text. " Kieth Robertson
When gathering visuals from the past three years of work to spring clean my portfolio I will admit at first that I was surprised with the amount of white space and possibly this concerned me that the overall style I have developed may appear bare, boring and may visually deny a lack of character. However, on reflection I concluded that actually the extensive use of white space adds legibility and an effective response to briefs given.
For me, Swiss modernist design is the ultimate faith to follow and works everytime. “I haven’t changed my mind about modernism from the first day I ever did it…. It means integrity; it means honesty; it means the absence of sentimentality and the absence of nostalgia; it means simplicity; it means clarity. That’s what modernism means to me…" - wise words from Paul Rand one of the key originals of swiss graphic design.