Is “Clean” Design Now Synonymous With Boring?

Every now and again I see designers using "clean" to describe their work. a look through their past work demonstrates clean, for sure, but quite often also demonstrates boring and formulaic.

This isn't always the case of course. Taking a look at the following examples, I would most definitely classify them as "clean". But they're not boring or formulaic.

Mike Rundle's Flyosity.com – Clean design? Yes. Boring? Not by a mile. But then, Mike is known for his attention to detail.

Our friends at Creative Soapbox – Every pixel, every line, every graphic is there for a reason without getting in the way or causing clutter.

 

Jason Santa Maria – Clean as minimalistic perhaps? Maybe. Boring? No way. His handling of typography online is first-rate.

 

Enhancing the content

 

What I tend to find in good examples of "clean" design, is that the design really communicates the message. It highlights the content. That's what good design does. The content is begging to be read and links are dying to be clicked on because the design makes it so, even when clean means minimalist.

The devil is in the details

 

Yes it's a cliché, but it's cliche for a cliché. Details matter. There's no getting around it. The details of a design keep it from being boring and formulaic. The details make the design much greater than the sum of its parts. Take any one detail away and the design suddenly feels like it needs something. Shadows, borders, graphics, type – pick your poison. But details matter.

"Clean" isn't enough

 

As I mentioned earlier, not every designer that uses "clean" to describe their design work creates bland work. To be honest, I used to use that very word to describe our work years ago. It served us well. Until 1) I started to see everyone else do the same and 2) realized it didn't really mean what I thought it meant. (Or at least it didn't have the significance I thought it did.)

But I'm over the word "clean" to be used to describe design work. We're asking a lot of that little word. Does it mean minimalist? Free of clutter? Simple? Did the design just take a shower? What?

Or maybe that's the "gotcha" – it's so subjective it does the trick. I dunno. What do you think?