About simplicity

I want to talk to you about the simplicity in design. More specifically: the simplicity in the design of sites. I have a rather radical position on this issue, so I hope for an interesting discussion and debate in the comments.

In general, sites can be divided into two types: presentational and functional. My note about functional sites.

Let's start with a specific example:
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After launching the citatoe site , I received several questions in the style “Why such a simple design. Where is the menu? Where is the beautiful background? ”

Do they need them? Citatoe - narrowly functional site. His main and only task is to keep quotes. Therefore, emptiness is not the absence of design, but intentional ascetic design. Take, for example, the quotes page, what do we see on it? The faded menu at the top, the bold title of the book, the list of well-separated quotes, with dim but marked tags to the right of them, and that's it. Nothing that would distract attention from the mainstream. And at the same time, everything you need is at hand.

Many are afraid of white space on the page. They say that the site looks empty. They say you need to add a background and pictures.

Pictures or illustrations are, of course, beautiful. But let's not forget that our site is functional, which means that it has a strictly defined purpose or function. Few people know how to add an illustration so that it contributes to a faster understanding of the content or the achievement of a lobo goal. Most often, the pictures are decorative and only interfere with perception.

Background. The background is most often graphic noise. Decorative background distracts attention from the content. The best possible background for a functional site is a clean white screen. Light colors and faded gradients can also contribute to improved information perception.

In total we have: the less decorative elements other than direct significance, the better for the site.