JUNE 2019
COMPUTERARTS.CREATIVEBLOQ.COME
ight years ago I crossed
continents and moved
from the UK to
California. In those years I’ve
noticed a desire to ‘own less’
building inside of me. An urge
to only own things I need;
quality products that are either
old, vintage or from new,
smaller makers.
And it seems I’m not alone:
this has the makings of a trend.
People are craving this ‘lessism’
in their lives. Less across their
physical and digital realities,
which is manifesting itself in an
overwhelmingly strong desire for
the consumer to declutter their
social media, the digital products,
apps and tools they consume, as
well as everyday physical items.
I believe this need for ‘lessism’
is the result of a whole range of
external factors colliding; the
relentless mass amalgamation
of ‘stuff ’, the wastefulness of
overproduction, the impact on
the environment and a feeling
that, as human beings, we’re
tired of it all and want to be
responsible for our actions.
A switch has flipped in many people’s
heads and the numbers continue to grow.
So what does this mean for design? Arguably, a
popular desire for less could make things difficult
for brands – they’re in the game of encouraging
people to want their stuff after all, but success will
lie in brands understanding this consumer switch
and putting actions in place to genuinely meet new
consumers’ needs.
As a designer, I’m interested in how this trend
towards ‘lessism’ will manifest as a visual appearance
and feel. Will it have its own unique style, will it
become the look of its time – a cultural aesthetic?
Furthermore, will that look become the norm
for large and small brands alike? We’ve just seen aCOLUMNJIM BULL
15-year rise of the ‘hipster’,
quickly becoming the
predominant style used by
brands. Could the consumer’s
growing need for ‘lessism’
define a new set of visual
cues that, in turn, define a
new design language?
Beyond aesthetics, in a world
of less-ness designers have a
powerful role to play, identifying
opportunities for clients to
improve the way they do business,
make products and refine their
processes. For example, one
movement this trend could be
used to push forward is the
use of reusable, multi-purpose,
ecological, quality-based products
and services. If designers can
finally redefine the principles at
the heart of packaging (fuelled
by the consumer desire for less),
perhaps we could eradicate
single-use virgin plastics for good.
In the past, a brand could
promise the consumer almost
anything they wanted, and in
abundance. Now, people want
to sign up to fewer things, make
fewer transactions and have
fewer products, and benefit from a higher quality
experience at the end of it. The brands that recognise
this trend and create the products to meet it will be
the ones to succeed.
There’s no doubt that lessism is here, but the point
is, how far does it go? Will it simply lead to another
visual trend that ticks the box? I’m convinced that it
has the potential to be an all-encompassing truth,
transforming businesses’ procedures inside and out.
With this in mind, a designer or anyone holding the
creative reins has the power to embrace this trend,
and help turn their client into a small giant.Are you applying ‘lessism’ to your design work? Tweet
your thoughts @ComputerArts using #DesignMattersJim Bull believes the old adage ‘less is more’ is truer than ever
Designing small giants
JIM BULL
CO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER,
MOVING BRANDS
http://www.movingbrands.com