Simplicity is key

24th November 2017

Keeping your brand simple adds an essential element of quality to your company. It will allow you to attract the right people to your business, resulting in a positive impact of the growth of your brand. By embracing simplicity you cut through the clutter in such a saturated market becoming almost impossible to ignore. If you merely observe the most effective and popular brands on the market today you will notice how they all have one thing in common… they’re simple. Whether it is the Nike tick, McDonald’s golden arches or the Adidas feathers they all have that one simple look which can resonate with people from around the globe.

Why do people want simplicity?

There are many reasons that have been flagged up as to why people prefer simplicity, from faster loading times for websites to people basically not wanting to be overwhelmed by busy designs. We feel however the reason is much more basic – simple design looks good. There are, of course, other reasons for this but you don’t need to look any further that the examples made previously (Nike, Adidas and McDonalds) to see this is the case. If you were to name one of the most impactful brands of the century its almost guaranteed at least one of those will be on your list. As Leonardo Da Vinci once said ‘Simple is the art of sophistication’.

To further prove how effective keeping things simple is for your brand we’ve taken key findings from the recent Global Brand Simplicity Index (2017) Results, which show:

• 64% of consumers are willing to pay more for simpler experiences
• 61% of consumers are more likely to recommend a brand because its simple
• Brands that don’t provide simple experiences are leaving an estimated share of $86 billion on the table
• A stock portfolio of the simplest global brands out perform the major indexes by 330%
• 62% of employees at simple companies are brand champions – versus only 20% of employees at complex companies
• The key brands that are disrupting industries are doing so, in part, by delivering simpler brand experiences to consumers

Taking on board these findings, it is clear that less is most definitely more when it comes to your brand. Simple designs never get old, wasting time with too many details will only cause distraction and reduce the impact of your brand. Design simple with elements that are true to you and it will become timeless. It will instantly communicate your unique message, and stay with your audience longer, cutting through the noise.