Blueprint vs Minimalism

ブループリント / ミニマリズム

Blueprint comes from Technical Expression and Minimalism from Functionalism. They are reached for with some of the same intent, which is where they get confused.

Blueprint

Blueprint — 青写真による銃弾の設計図 — Wikimedia Commons / Public domainBlueprint — University Bridge の青写真 1915, シアトル — Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0Blueprint — ブザンソン大聖堂の平面図 1882, フランス国立文書館 — Wikimedia Commons / Public domain

Instead of a finished object it shows the lines of the thinking behind it, communicating structure and possibility.

Minimalism

Minimalism — Agnes Martin 作品, SFMOMA 展示 — Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0Minimalism — Agnes Martin 作品群, SFMOMA 展示 — Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0Minimalism — Dan Flavin《Untitled (to Don Judd, Colorist) 1–5》1987, Tate Modern — Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0

Removes elements to maximize the meaning and tension of what remains.

BlueprintMinimalism
Eraindustrial1960s–
FamilyTechnical ExpressionFunctionalism
KindStyleStyle
CuesWhite lines on blue / Dimensions / Sections / Handwritten notesVast white space / Few elements / Quiet color / Precise spacing
Best used forVisualizing concepts, design and process · Structural credibility for products and architectureFocusing attention on a single value · Letting quality speak quietly
TypeMonospace plus drafting-style handwritingA light sans-serif or a well-cut serif
CompositionOrthographic views, sections, dimension lines tied to real informationOne message, one focal point, wide margins
MaterialDeep blue, white lines, fine paper grainNearly achromatic; texture in exactly one place
CautionNo fake drawings as decoration. Bind everything to actual structure and thought.Missing information is not minimal. Decide priorities before you cut.

Put these two together

Technical Expression ／ Functionalism

IndexStyle