Marketers and designers are making sure the message gets out. Minimalism is not a new-age way of thinking and living, it’s quickly becoming an effective style in both marketing and graphic design— welcome to the show don’t tell world.

As a society, we are too busy to read. Time is short and if your message doesn’t come across in 5 seconds, then I’m moving on. Show me and engage me and I might stick around.

Apple has known this for a long time. Their web site has one main product on the home page—they show less. Dell and HP now follow suite with websites that have less. Toshiba still doesn’t get this.

Twitter does one thing and they do it well. It’s fast and effective and forces you to keep it short. It’s less than Facebook but gets truck loads of press.

Lewis University in Chicago asked us to design their alumni portal in a way that will help individuals connect. We took a minimalist approach and delivered a site with less so people can do more.

In the upcoming weeks we’ll be revealing Seattle’s new Woodland Park Zoo website. We focused on less so that visitors and members can do more faster and easier. It’s about simplicity and effective communication.

Less is the new Black!

No matter if you work from home or an office, sometimes you just need a change of scenery. Swapping locations can enhance your energy and bring you new ideas.

Some locations can be an energy suck. I’ve had to work in offices that were poorly lit and had zero natural light. These locations are not creative for me. They bring my energy level down and is not conducive to creativity. Your space is very important.

For me, it’s never about finding silence. A silent environment is too sterile for me, I need energy, noise, and large sums of caffeine. I don’t mind the bustle of people coming and going, the jarring sound of a coffee grinder, and the steam escaping from an espresso machine. This may sound crazy to some, but these “distractions” allow me to “hyper-focus” on the work at hand—it’s almost hypnotic. But noise aside, getting out of your normal work environment can be efficient and productive.

What’s most important is that you have the tools you need to get the work done and nothing else to distract you. When I’m in a coffee shop there are only three things on my table: coffee (most important), my Mac, and my phone. It’s a minimalist setup and helps keep me focused on what’s important. If I really need to be focused, my e-mail is closed and I only keep the apps open that I’m using. This virtual desktop needs to be clear of distractions, too (no IM)!

When I’m in my groove, I can work at at least 2x my regular, at home, speed. This means less time working, and more time thinking about new ideas, taking photos, or spending time with my family.