Minimalism is all the rage right now. From tiny houses and interior decorating trends to capsule wardrobes and Silicon Valley tech uniforms, less is more. You don't say!
Yes, minimalism is in, but the word means a lot of different things to different people, including an art-historical movement and a certain vein in Japanese philosophy. Here's some delicious irony for you: "Minimalism" first entered pop culture in the U.S. as an insult in 1965.
Good Design
These days, minimalism usually means owning less stuff, and in Vrasa's case that means being a little more conscious of the things we buy.
Simply put, we prefer to trade up some of our crap for well-designed stuff, objects, artifacts, and for nearly a decade now, we have posted our best finds on Milk n' Sugar. Because we're a product design company, Milk n' Sugar also serves as a company blog of sorts.
We've never had a conventional blog, but we still wanted a place to curate and share beautiful products. If we had to pick one word that both defines Vrasa's aesthetic, that word would be minimalism.
And early on, we used the ten design principles of Dieter Rams to help make our picks for Milk n' Sugar:
- Good design is innovative.
- Good design makes a product useful.
- Good design is aesthetic.
- Good design makes a product understandable.
- Good design is unobtrusive.
- Good design is honest.
- Good design is long-lasting.
- Good design is thorough down to the last detail.
- Good design is environmentally-friendly.
- Good design is as little design as possible.
Nourishment
In our glittering epoch of overconsumption,
Milk n' Sugar is a content diet.
Surprisingly, restraint with posting has influenced our consumption of products at home. We buy less crap. And the new things we buy are noteworthy for their beauty and simplicity.
Hours spent on searching high and low for simple, elegant functionality can't help but shape our creative work. As Milk n' Sugar’s aesthetic colors our work, so does our work steer our pursuit of new products to feature.
Milk n' Sugar and Vrasa nourish one another.
Fuck SEO
Organic traffic wasn't the point. We're not trying to build an internet marketing empire.
Preserving the quality of the posts and the overall aesthetic was more important than jacking up monthly unique visits.
Sometimes we delete posts that no longer fit the atheistic.
Sometimes we trim down copy that only steals attention.
Some weeks we post. Some weeks we don't.
Excellence must supersede frequency.
Patience
One surprising benefit of sticking with Milk n' Sugar all these years has been more patience as a team.
Even when browsing the most mundane products meant for daily use — steel paper clips, anyone? — we must suspend any urgency to make-a-decision-already.
Again, the point is consistent excellence in design, not consistent posts.
When you're willing to wait for the right air purifier or sofa, you rarely suffer buyer's remorse. You know the right one when you see it. And you feel confident spending the money because you took your time.
Regardless of how you interpret minimalism, we hope that you find something to love on Milk n' Sugar.
May your less be better.