Why Simple Design is Good for Business

Design is getting simpler. From branding and logos to architecture and general product design, our collective taste is shifting towards that which is sleek and stripped-back. If it’s done well,? simple design can yield enormous benefits for your business. Let’s discuss how.??

The Rise of Simple Design

What do Burger King, FNB (First National Bank), and BMW have in common? At first, you might think very little – they’re three separate businesses working in different sectors, after all. But in the past few years, each has simplified its logo and branding, adopting a cleaner, more refined look and feel. In doing so, they’ve joined the likes of business behemoths (and everyone’s favourite branding case study examples) Nike and Apple – the masters of simple design.?

They aren’t the only companies to do so either. In recent years, Burberry, Adobe, Heinz, Paramount, Discord – just to name a few – have done the same thing, proving that simple design is more than an industry-specific trend – it’s fast becoming the status quo.

The Role of a Brand

First impressions matter. There’s an old adage that states “marketing is like asking someone on a date. Branding is the reason they say yes.” If people like what they see and get a good first impression, they’ll give your brand a chance. If you prove they made the right decision by delivering on your brand promise, offering a pleasant experience, and satisfying their need for your product or service, they’ll come back to you and spread the word about their experience.?

Like most things, a brand starts its life as a clean slate; a blank canvas. Designers can do with it what they like which is exciting, but a big responsibility. Even if they’re updating an existing brand, there are many paths they can take and little room for error. A brand can be colourful or monotone, busy or understated, loud or subtle, complex or simple. Whichever route they opt to follow, designing a brand is never a job to take lightly because brands carry weight. They can help a business or hinder it, attract customers or push them away, and grab attention or lose it. That’s why good branding and design are crucial.?

Why Simple Design is Good for Business

“Simple, recognisable brands offer a sense of comfort and shelter from the storm.”

People crave simplicity. They want clear-cut, no-nonsense because it’s easy. It doesn’t waste their time or make decision-making difficult. We believe that simple design and branding are always better. Here’s why:

Simple is Efficient

Simple design is thoughtful and intentional. Every element is painstakingly developed and strategically selected to communicate only what needs to be communicated. Nothing features if it doesn’t aid in authentically conveying your brand image, message, philosophy, and tone.

Because of this, it’s often more challenging to craft than complex or busy designs. The world is complicated, busy, and demands people’s time and attention without much respite. So, when your customers engage with something uncomplicated it can feel like a relief.?

It’s tough to distil something down to its essence. It takes ruthless strategy, but is worth the effort: once they get a taste of that welcome refreshment, they crave more of it. This draws them towards a simple brand and keeps them loyal to it.

Simple is Transferable

We live in a pervasively digital world. People are spending more time online than ever before on an ever-increasing array of platforms. This means there are far more places and ways for them to engage with your brand than there ever have been. The simpler design is, the more transferable and adaptable it is, meaning the more visible you are. This is good because it helps you reach and maintain top-of-mind status.

Hyperclear’s two simple lines depict the gap in the letter ‘H’. The simplicity and transferability of these lines make it easy to impose them onto virtually any shape, rendering them a Hyperclear asset.

Simple is Recognisable & Memorable

On average, the human brain can process about 11 million bits of information every second, but our conscious minds only register between 40 to 50.? The more detailed a piece of design work is, the more information your customers are required to process when engaging with it, making it harder for them to understand, remember, and recall. Simple design is easier for our brains to process, meaning it’s more recognisable and memorable. The simpler your design, the less time it takes for a consumer to look at it and think “I know that!”, which is what you want them to do.?

In a cluttered world overwhelmingly populated with clickbait and loud advertising that aims to grab people’s attention (if only for a moment) simplicity offers respite – a place to take a breath and enjoy something refined, convenient, and, most importantly, different. Simple design is a big part of how Apple became so popular, and could be a way to ensure your brand stands out in the attention economy.?

Simple is Familiar & Comforting

Like all humans, your customers are creatures of habit living in a world of constant change – the rate and scale of which are ever-increasing. This can be overwhelming and chaotic, and make it difficult for them to make simple purchasing decisions – especially because their options often seem virtually endless and compete noticeably for their attention. Simple, recognisable brands offer a sense of comfort and shelter from the storm. We all like consistency; to stick with what we know and what works for us. It makes us feel at ease.?

Here’s a brief anecdote about the importance of familiarity in branding from our copywriter, Michael:

“When I was four years old, my dad – a pilot – took a job overseas. So, my family packed up and left our home in Johannesburg to move to Dubai – a city we were completely unfamiliar with in a country none of us had ever been to. The nature of my dad’s work meant he was away on trips fairly often, leaving my mom, sister, and I to find our bearings.

One day, the three of us went to the supermarket. I remember, clear as day, standing in whatever number aisle we were in, staring at the most expansive selection of washing products I’d ever seen – or have still seen to this day. We didn’t recognise a single one of them. I think that’s when the gravity of the move really sank in because my mom just burst into tears. She had no idea what to do or buy because she didn’t recognise any of the brands we were looking at.

This was before the UAE became as Westernised as it is today, so the brands on display were completely unfamiliar and (literally) foreign to us at the time. My sister and I were very confused. We kept asking her if she was okay. She just kept cry-laughing at the fact that laundry products had reduced her to tears. If only there had been a brand she recognised – what a comfort that would’ve been.”

Every one of your customers – potential and existing – faces challenges and complexities. There’s no need to make things more difficult for them by overwhelming them with visual and design information. When they aren’t sure which brand to support out of an ocean-sized catalogue of choices, simple stands out and is easily recognisable and appealing. So, keep things simple. Your customers will recognise and thank you for it.?

Simple is Clear

Your brand represents your business. It should correspond with and depict your vision, mission, goals, and values. If it does so clearly and well, it can be a great tool to build recognition, credibility, and connections with your customers. If they understand, appreciate, and resonate with what your business stands for, they’re more likely to support you over time.

It can be difficult to accurately capture a philosophy through design. Whilst a picture (or logo or colour scheme or website or whatever piece of design, really) may say a thousand words, you need to make sure it says the right ones. The more elements in your design, the more likely it is that the message you want to convey becomes unclear, or lost. Simplicity makes for efficient and clear communication. It gets to the point.?

You have to really know who you are as a business to be able to build an authentic, simple brand, and you have to be authentic and simple (read clear) in your design to convey who you really are. So, spend some time thinking about who you are, then make sure it comes across clearly in everything you do and say.

Simple is Timeless

Simple design stands the test of time. It transcends any given moment, outlasting trends. Regardless of how the world changes, simple design work remains appealing, familiar, and relevant.?

We won’t dive too deeply into this point here and now, but you can read more about it in our blog On Time, Design & Trends.

Simplicity is one of, if not the most effective tool in a designer’s arsenal. It builds solid brands that convey who a business is accurately, efficiently, and clearly. It stands the test of time. It’s transferable, working across platforms and devices, and it’s recognisable, making it memorable, familiar, and attractive. Though it’s time-consuming and often challenging to craft, the benefits it yields far outweigh the time, effort, and attention cost of developing it.