Usage
Developers may create user interfaces made to be as simple as possible by eliminating buttons and dialog boxes that may potentially confuse the user. Minimalism is sometimes used in its visual arts meaning, particularly in the industrial design of the hardware device or software theme.
Some developers have attempted to create programs to perform a particular function in the fewest lines of code, or smallest compiled executable size possible on a given platform. Some Linux distributions mention minimalism as a goal. Puppy Linux, Bodhi Linux, dynebolic and DSL Linux are examples.
John Millar Carroll, in his book Minimalism Beyond the Nürnberg Funnel pointed out the use of minimalism resulting in little-or-no learning curve with the benefit of 'instant-use' devices such as video games, ATMs, voting machines, and mall kiosks that do not require the user to read manuals. User Interface researchers have performed experiments suggesting that minimalism, as illustrated by the design principles of parsimony and transparency, bolsters efficiency and learnability. Minimalism is implicit in the Unix philosophy of "Do one thing and do it well."
Read more about this topic: Minimalism (computing)
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