In today’s world, we can enjoy whatever aesthetic our hearts desire. There’s an aesthetic out there for everyone. Despite the endless creative possibilities, one style has quietly emerged as the dominant trend: minimalism.
I mean, we literally see it everywhere — in art, architecture, logos, fashion, and for some, it’s their whole personality… and that’s the problem. In a world bursting with creativity, this minimalism pandemic, with its emphasis on “less is more,” is starting to kill the very thing that makes culture exciting.
Graphic Design
A victim of the minimalistic trend is graphic design, particularly brand logos. Minimalist design prides itself on being simple, functional, and easy to understand. Every element is supposed to have a purpose. The Target logo, for example, nails that. It’s recognizable and perfectly fits the brand.
While minimalist design is a philosophy rooted in function, it now feels like brands are using minimalism as an excuse for laziness. Companies like Target can afford to keep their logo simple because it’s already iconic. But now, every brand redesign is a race to this aesthetic standard.
I get it, simpler designs are cheaper to print and easier to scale, but this idea to be more “modern” has become synonymous with “minimalistic.” For some, it’s simple; for others, it’s boring. It’s giving I did this on Canva (no shade).
Look at Cracker Barrel, a recent victim of minimalism. Their redesign removed nearly everything that made the logo nostalgic. Sure, it still said “Cracker Barrel,” but it didn’t feel like itself anymore. People aren’t going there for a simple and classical time; they want the Southern country culture.
People were rightfully outraged, and thankfully, the CEO paused the change. This backlash proved that identity, not just modernity, is what truly matters to consumers.
Big corporations can survive these bland makeovers because their identities are already established. But for smaller brands, minimalism can erase the very thing that makes them memorable. Why blend in when you could stand out?
Architecture and Interior Design
This phenomenon continues in architecture and interior design. Scroll through TikTok and you’ll see it: couples buying gorgeous old houses and gutting them to turn them into sterile, beige boxes in the name of being “modern.” I mean… why buy a Victorian home just to erase the Victorian part?
A few modern touches here and there can work, but when everything becomes neutral, sleek, and “timeless,” it starts to feel soulless. Minimalist design often strips spaces of their uniqueness, replacing warmth and texture with sameness and emptiness.
It’s not just in homes, it’s everywhere. An article by Slice Marketing compared London’s iconic red telephone booth with a modern, minimal version. The red booth is bold, joyful, and instantly recognizable. Have I ever needed to use a telephone booth? No, but it’s iconic, so I’ll be taking a picture with it — it’s a symbol of culture and place.
As for the modern one, it’s a dull gray box that could be anywhere and nowhere. Sure, it’s functional, but there’s no uniqueness or soul. This reflects exactly what’s happening to our creative landscape, as minimalism becomes the go-to for modernization.
The Bigger Picture of Minimalism
Here’s the thing: minimalism isn’t inherently bad. In moderation, it’s elegant and intentional. But the cultural obsession with stripping everything down to its bare bones has gone too far. Somehow, we’ve started treating color, detail, and personality like they’re tacky — as if creativity itself needs to be edited down for the aesthetic.
Minimalism was meant to make space for meaning, not delete it entirely. Maybe “less” isn’t more. Maybe “more” is what makes life interesting. If everything keeps getting simplified and sanitized, we’re not moving forward; we’re flattening creativity into one endless, boring shade of beige. Minimalism might be clean, but creativity is never meant to be quiet.
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