The Rise of Minimalism as a New Form of Consumption: A CrossCultural Study
Design Issues, cilt.42, sa.3, ss.61-68, 2026 (AHCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 42 Sayı: 3
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1162/desi.a.736
- Dergi Adı: Design Issues
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, Periodicals Index Online, Applied Science & Technology Source, Art Abstracts, Art Index, Art Source, Avery, Compendex, MLA - Modern Language Association Database, MLA International Bibliography, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Business Source Ultimate (EBSCO), Humanities Source Ultimate (EBSCO)
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.61-68
- Anahtar Kelimeler: accumulation, aesthetics, consumer culture, cultural evolution, design theory, industrialization, materialism, Minimalism
- Anadolu Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
In the face of rampant consumption and informational overload, minimalism emerges not only as a stylistic trend but as a cultural, psychological, and philosophical framework. This article explores minimalism as a structured and context-sensitive category within design history, tracing its roots from industrial production through stylistic evolution to its current role in consumer culture. The research critically evaluates the cyclical nature of style, the psychological impact of accumulation, and the influence of industrial capitalism and marketing strategies on consumer perception. Through historical and cultural analysis, it argues that minimalism simultaneously responds to and resists consumer excess, embodying both simplicity and contradiction. The text highlights the socio-economic functions of design movements and exposes the artificial obsolescence embedded in modern production cycles. This research views mostly based on Thorstein Veblen's critique of conspicuous consumption (Veblen, 1899), engaging the aesthetic of minimalism in social behavior and design as a reflection of class distinction. Through this view, minimalism is interpreted as both a cultural reaction to product excess and a new form of symbolic consumption. Ultimately, minimalism is revealed as a powerful mechanism of both liberation and control within contemporary cultural discourse.