“We don't need more websites. We need websites that feel like poetry, built with focus and restraint.”
Great design isn’t about adding features until nothing more can fit; it is about stripping away the noise until only the essential remains. In this interview, we speak with our Lead Curator, Sarah Chen, about the philosophies that guide her curation process and how modern designers can practice restraint in a world full of digital clutter.
The Problem with Noise
In the early days of the web, technical constraints forced simplicity. Today, with high-speed connections and powerful frameworks, we can render complex 3D scenes, custom physics models, and endless micro-interactions in a single page load. While technically impressive, this capability often leads to a "more is better" mindset that distracts from the core content.
> "A website is first and foremost a communication tool. If your user is struggling to read the text because of floating 3D bubbles in the background, you haven't built a website—you've built an obstacle course."
Curation as a Filter
Our curation process at Curato Design is built on three core pillars: 1. Clarity of Purpose: Can a visitor immediately understand what the site is about? 2. Typographic Discipline: Are there clear hierarchies, appropriate contrast, and a limited typeface palette? 3. Intentional Animation: Do transitions aid user navigation, or are they just eye candy?
We aim to highlight websites that excel in these areas, serving as examples of how to build experiences that feel premium, fast, and memorable.
Practical Steps to Simplification
If you are looking to bring more intention to your current projects, Sarah recommends starting with these steps:
- Audit your type scale: Reduce the number of font weights and sizes to a maximum of 4.
- Enforce layout grids: Establish strict grid alignments and stick to them across all viewports.
- Evaluate micro-interactions: If an hover effect or animation doesn't help the user understand a state change, remove it.
