I think people tend to conflate functional (how it works) minimalism with aesthetic (how it looks) minimalism. (I just made those terms up but they seem to work nicely.)
Functionality and aesthetics are connected but I would argue that functional minimalism doesn’t have to lead to aesthetic minimalism.
Aesthetic minimalism is a specific look: a specific color palette, a specific set of fonts, a specific use of illustrations and photos, a specific use of geometries and space.
Some of those specific properties of aesthetic minimalism may indeed lead to better functionality like less distraction and better readability. Much of the rest of it is mostly fashion. There is a wider range of aesthetics with which your design can work and be functional — I would very much despise living in a world were all everyone ever wants to achieve is a minimalist look.
I would also argue that functional minimalism is always a laudable design goal, independent of your aesthetics. At least when your goal is designing something that people are supposed to use and not, say, art. (I should again emphasize that both are obviously connected. You can’t make your aesthetic choices independent of your functional choices, it’s just that there is a wider range of options than just aesthetic minimalism.)
Functionality and aesthetics are connected but I would argue that functional minimalism doesn’t have to lead to aesthetic minimalism.
Aesthetic minimalism is a specific look: a specific color palette, a specific set of fonts, a specific use of illustrations and photos, a specific use of geometries and space.
Some of those specific properties of aesthetic minimalism may indeed lead to better functionality like less distraction and better readability. Much of the rest of it is mostly fashion. There is a wider range of aesthetics with which your design can work and be functional — I would very much despise living in a world were all everyone ever wants to achieve is a minimalist look.
I would also argue that functional minimalism is always a laudable design goal, independent of your aesthetics. At least when your goal is designing something that people are supposed to use and not, say, art. (I should again emphasize that both are obviously connected. You can’t make your aesthetic choices independent of your functional choices, it’s just that there is a wider range of options than just aesthetic minimalism.)