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New book dispels the cliches of minimalist graphic design and explains why less is more

If you love minimalist design and are finding yourself crafting projects where less is more, then we recommend MIN: The New Simplicity in Graphic Design – a new visual culture book by Stuart Tolley, the creative director and founder of Brighton-based creative agency Transmission.

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Light blue book cover for MIN: The New Simplicity in Graphic Design by Stuart Tolley, published by Thames & Hudson, displayed at an angle against a neutral background

Published by Thames & Hudson, the 288 page publication is the first thorough look at the rebirth of simplicity in graphic design and showcases around 160 outstanding minimalist designers working across a wide range of formats and media – from independent magazines, album covers, books, packaging and branding.

Only the finest international examples from the last three years are featured and includes work by Made Thought, Stockholm Design Lab, Gentlewoman, Wang Zhi-Hong and Raster Noton. Each example has been photographed exclusively for the book and is accompanied by commentary on the design and production processes involved.

The book is divided into three sections: Reduction, Production, Geometry, each opening with an exclusive in-depth interview with Cereal Magazine, BVD and Erased Tapes Records.

Speaking of what he hopes to achieve through his new book, Stuart said: "I aim to dispel some of the cliches surrounding Minimalism and highlight that a simplified approach to graphic design is far from the easy option and can take years to master through ceaseless refinement and restraint."

Of course, minimalist graphic design can get a bad reception these days. On that point Stuart said: "I think the main hangup with Minimalism is, when successful, it looks effortless. People assume that because it looks effortless, it was created with little effort. There’s a massive difference.

"For me, the appeal of minimal graphic design has developed over time. I find there’s increasingly more noise in our daily lives, from online advertising and social media, so a simpler, decluttered lifestyle really resonates with me. This thinking has filtered into my graphic design work and I love that there’s nowhere to hide with minimalism. It’s about being clever and experimental with the essential ingredients of composition, type and the all-important concept."

If you love minimalism, or just want to discover more, then grab yourself a copy of MIN: The New Simplicity in Graphic Design, out Monday.

MIN: The New Simplicity in Graphic Design book cover by Stuart Tolley, featuring a blue background with subtle geometric line work
Close-up of the light blue spine of MIN: The New Simplicity in Graphic Design book by Stuart Tolley, showing embossed white text
Light blue book cover with embossed linear design photographed at an angle against a white background
Close-up of the blue cover and grey pages of MIN: The New Simplicity in Graphic Design book by Stuart Tolley
Open book spread showing black left page with white horizontal lines and white right page displaying "M" and "N" with text about The New Simplicity in Graphic Design by Stuart Tolley, published by Thames & Hudson
Open spread of MIN: The New Simplicity in Graphic Design showing minimalist page layouts with sparse typography and white space
Open book showing "CEREAL" text on left page and photograph of two people outdoors on right page spread from MIN: The New Simplicity in Graphic Design
Two open pages from MIN: The New Simplicity in Graphic Design book showing minimalist design examples including pine cone and plant imagery, desert landscape, and a tilted white envelope or card on grey background
Open pages from MIN: The New Simplicity in Graphic Design showing minimalist design examples including colourful graphic compositions and a yellow poster with Olympic rings line drawing
Spread from MIN book showing three photographs of a spiral sculptural form on the left page and a large white three-dimensional spiral object on the right page
An open book showing a left page with minimal text and a right page featuring three people in black clothing standing in front of white shelving in a bright interior space
Open pages from MIN book showing minimalist wine bottle packaging design with black and white label featuring vertical lines, alongside abstract geometric imagery
Open spread from MIN: The New Simplicity in Graphic Design showing minimalist design examples with an orange pencil, sketches and geometric shapes on white pages
Open pages of MIN book showing minimalist branding project with geometric logo design on white product packaging and marketing materials
Three men in a minimalist studio setting with a keyboard and equipment, featured in MIN: The New Simplicity in Graphic Design book spread on Erased Tapes Records
Open spread from MIN: The New Simplicity in Graphic Design showing minimalist logo designs and a geometric sculptural form with parallel lines on a dark semi-circular base
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