Minimalism vs Web 2.0 Gloss

ミニマリズム / ウェブ2.0グロス

Minimalism comes from Functionalism and Web 2.0 Gloss from Digital Retro. Both are read here as style. They are reached for with different intent, which is the fastest way to tell them apart.

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.

Web 2.0 Gloss

Web 2.0 Gloss — eyeOS 1.9.0.1 の既定デスクトップ 2010年 — Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0Web 2.0 Gloss — CreativeAlys 3Dビジネスアイコン集 — Wikimedia Commons / CC0Web 2.0 Gloss — Internet Explorer のアイコン（光沢仕上げ）2009年 — Wikimedia Commons / CC0

Explains digital interaction as something touchable through gloss, roundness and reflection. It names what the web made when it tried to reproduce the texture of Aqua with images and CSS.

MinimalismWeb 2.0 Gloss
Era1960s–2000s
FamilyFunctionalismDigital Retro
KindStyleStyle
CuesVast white space / Few elements / Quiet color / Precise spacingGlossy buttons / Strong gradients / Reflections / Rounded corners
Best used forFocusing attention on a single value · Letting quality speak quietlyNostalgia for the 2000s web · Visually amplifying the joy of interaction
TypeA light sans-serif or a well-cut serifA rounded sans-serif
CompositionOne message, one focal point, wide marginsCentered, with a dimensional button as the focus
MaterialNearly achromatic; texture in exactly one placeBlue gradients, white highlights
CautionMissing information is not minimal. Decide priorities before you cut.In real UI, restrain shadows and reflections so state differences stay legible.

Put these two together

Functionalism ／ Digital Retro

IndexStyle