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The Impact of minimalism on product Design: A Case study of 
Muji 

Yao Li a, Pan Huang b 
Wuhan Textile University,Wuhan, 430073, China 

a994429192@qq.com, b1821325498@qq.com 

Abstract. Simplicity and naturalness, and a focus on product materials and functionality itself are 
typical features of the minimalist style, which, as a popular modern design style, has also had a 
profound impact on product design. Muji develops minimalism in its design philosophy and product 
content, espousing a philosophy of simple and natural living and the removal of superfluous 
decoration. The appearance of the products is presented only through the use of simple lines and 
geometric shapes, the use of high purity colours to return the properties of the raw materials 
themselves, and the use of environmentally friendly recycled materials to simplify the packaging to 
its most basic state. The product is presented to the consumer in a minimalist manner, while retaining 
its functionality and practicality. Taking Muji as an example, this article explores the application of 
minimalism in Muji's design from both the design concept and the product, and analyses the reasons 
for its transformation from an 'unbranded' to a 'branded' brand. 

Keywords: Minimalism, product design, Muji. 

1. Minimalist style 
Minimalism is also considered by many people as "less is more", originated in the 1960s  and 

was widely recognised at the time, becoming a major school of art and design in the West. After the 
end of the Second World War, when the economy was in a downward spiral, designers changed their 
design style to better suit the market. Many designers advocated a return to natural design and 
minimalism became widely accepted. The influence of minimalism on design was widespread, 
initially in the fields of painting and architecture, but gradually it spread to all sectors, including 
design, fashion, fashion and literature, and became a widely recognised artistic trend [1]. Minimalist 
design is not 'without design' or 'no design', but rather the simplification of the most essential elements 
of a product, such as shape, colour, material and function, and the removal of unnecessary decoration, 
so that the product presents the designer's original design intention The product is designed to reduce 
the cognitive burden on people, thus facilitating their use and appreciation. Behind this seemingly 
simple design lies the designer's own understanding of minimalism, which is expressed in the form 
of appropriate white space, creating a sense of calm and visual focus. By bringing out the necessary 
information and visual focus, all the user needs to do is to focus on the necessary information, and 
the minimalist design reflects the infinite possibilities of artistic form and visual impact. 

Minimalism is the pursuit of a higher level of spirituality, as design has developed to a high degree 
of autonomy and material life has been greatly satisfied, the pursuit of minimalism is an interpretation 
of the philosophy of elegant living, from a single material pursuit to a higher level of spiritual needs, 
through a more rational attitude to life and restraint in decoration. Minimalist design has two levels, 
one is the pursuit of "good" design, using the simplest lines and structures to complete the functional 
design of the product, through some details of "careful" design to enhance the value of the product, 
seemingly no design but in fact after careful consideration, the final presentation of the product to the 
public. The other is the pursuit of 'source', which is a human-centred and environmentally simple 
design that brings humanistic care to people and the environment. 

Minimalism differs from functionalist design in that it pursues a perfect combination of form and 
function with a focus on function, and aesthetics and humanity in product design are its main concerns 
[2].Minimalism is a combination of the two, focusing on the combination of functionality and 
aesthetics in the design process, a minimalist Eastern philosophy with a similarity to the Western 
"less is more" philosophy [3].In the minimalist mindset, the highest level of beauty is equivalent to 

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the realm of minimalism.The minimalist approach is to use "less" and "more". Minimalism is the use 
of 'less' to achieve 'more', and it is because of the oriental culture that simplicity and elegance have 
always been regarded as an elegant interest. The concept of rustic simplicity has long been integrated 
into oriental design thinking. 

2. Muji's minimalist philosophy 
2.1 Muji 

Muji was born in the 1980s and has grown over the years to become one of Japan's most influential 
national brands. In the eyes of Muji's designers, 'fit' was a guiding principle throughout the design 
process, with products designed and redesigned to be simple, natural and unpretentious, and then to 
look right and be of use. Since the brand was established, this design concept has quickly become 
recognised and a new trend. This simple approach to life has been accepted by more and more people 
and has been well received by both the general public and the white-collar segment, thus successfully 
creating a high-end and elegant image for the brand. 

It is not about individuality and fashion, but about the basics of life and humane design. The most 
basic meaning of "Wu" is "no packaging" and "no pollution", which coincides with the meaning of 
"empty" that Muji has been emphasising; "Yin" can be interpreted as a pattern or a mark. On the one 
hand, "Liang" it means being good to customers, providing them with good products and a good 
experience, and on the other hand, it means being good to the environment, using non-polluting 
materials and contributing to environmental protection; "Pin" means quality, taste and brand. The 
brand name is also a way of showing consumers its brand tone, conveying its design philosophy to 
designers, and promoting the importance of environmental protection to society. It is in these details 
that Muji's design philosophy is reflected. 

 
Fig. 1 The products of Muji 

2.2 The application of minimalism in Muji 
Muji's designs are based on the concept of minimalism and the need to meet the needs of everyday 

life, and this has led to the development of its own design philosophy and aesthetic standards. It is 
this philosophy that guides the design of Muji's products, which all share a common characteristic - 
simplicity in form and materials. The name "Muji" was proposed by Shinzo Higurashi and adopted 
by President Kazumitsu Tanaka. Muji does not claim to have a brand personality or to convey a 
particular aesthetic sense to consumers [4]. 

Its products are characterised by their own unique brand features that create a desire to buy. This 
simple desire for a better quality of life is what it is all about. The simplicity of the material is a way 
of presenting the essence of the product to people, and it is also a way of raising awareness of 
environmental protection. As with its design philosophy, it does not try to make a lot of propaganda, 



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but rather to explain the concept of "this is good" through its products and the values behind them. 
This seeming simplicity of thinking is based on a design philosophy derived from Laozi's "contend 
without doing anything". In fact, to achieve such a state of mind, one needs to be satisfied with a 
'plain' life, which coincides with the corporate values to which Muji aspires, to be satisfied with a 
simple life and to find the joy that belongs to the very essence of life. 

A return to simplicity and nature. Muji's packaging is simple and natural, with materials chosen to 
be as natural as possible and colours chosen directly from the material itself, and a closed design loop 
from the very beginning of the product design, all to reflect the value of 'this is good'. It starts with 
our daily lives and encourages an exploratory eye to discover what can be designed and to develop 
an eye for the 'Indigo'. As Muji advocates, minimalism is not about not designing, but about 
communicating the idea of rational consumption. It is an attitude to life that restrains itself and its 
desires. It is an approach to life that restrains itself and its desires. Kenya Hara also writes in his book 
Design in Design: "Creativity is not about being surprised by new forms and materials, it is about 
being surprised by the fact that it comes from the seemingly mundane everyday life. [5] 

As a 'special one', Muji is a product that is thoroughly researched from the outset, going against 
the tide and contrasting with what is already on the market and what the general public thinks. There 
is no shortage of new and quirky looking products on the market, and this is what attracts people to 
them. Another important factor is that people no longer recognise the learning costs of such complex 
products and are attracted to the natural, uncomplicated consumer philosophy of Muji. Muji's rational 
and minimalist design is a great way of restoring the charm of the product itself. In an environment 
that is already inundated with materialistic culture, there is a need for such a reasonable product 
mix.The product is not a novelty. Muji does not rely on novelty, but rather on its simple and 
unpretentious quality, which is achieved through the use of the most appropriate materials and the 
finest production processes. This interest is achieved by omitting useless processes and leaving only 
the useful parts. 

.  
Fig. 2 Wicker box 

3. The visual expression of Muji's "minimalism" 
The most fundamental aspect of Muji's product design process is the constant process of 

subtraction, with designers asking themselves repeatedly what else can be cut. Muji's design 
philosophy gives us a visual impression in three ways: firstly, it eschews exaggerated shapes and 
pursues the most 'minimalist' experience; secondly, it uses natural and virgin materials and pays 
attention to the use of environmentally friendly recycled materials; thirdly, it pursues a simple visual 
texture and respects the colour characteristics of the materials themselves. From these three aspects, 
the design of the details brings the consumer not only a visual experience, but also a psychological 
sublimation. 



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3.1 The "Shape" of Muji 
Muji's shape is simple and clear, mostly using straight lines and squares, integrating a large area 

of the plane, reducing the processing of the fine details, simple shape, rational modeling, precise 
proportions, Muji's most classic is storage.  

As shown in the picture, is the classic storage combination of Muji. Made of plastic, the storage 
box is divided into different sizes by small partitions. The designer did not use too much decoration, 
but used a semi-transparent plastic material for practicality, so that users can quickly find the items 
they need.The shape is simple and square, which seems to lack innovation but makes the storage 
space of the product the most practical, although there is no decoration, but contains the designer's 
thorough and rational thinking, is a typical minimalist design work. 

 
Fig. 3 Muji storage box             Fig. 4 Muji storage box 

3.2 The "materials" of Muji 
In order to retain the beauty of the material itself, Muji only processes the material to the minimum, 

avoiding artificial traces to the maximum extent possible, giving people a simple and natural feeling, 
using a lot of natural materials, such as wood, rattan, linen, cotton thread, unbleached paper, etc.; the 
selection of materials focuses on highlighting the functionality of the product, combining practicality 
and functionperfectly 

        
Fig. 5 Muji storage bag                    Fig. 6 Muji storage bag 

 
Muji is characterized by simplicity and environmental protection, simplifying unnecessary 

decorations, production processes and complicated techniques, highlighting the beauty of the raw 
materials themselves, maximizing the practical value of functions and materials, and saving materials 
while completing the functions of the products, perfectly interpreting the concept of environmental 
protection and human-centered design. Most of the materials chosen are recycled and recyclable, and 
the furniture, pencils, rulers, storage baskets and other daily necessities are made of wood in its 
original color, which is simple and natural, giving people a sense of freshness and health. Muji's 



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environmental philosophy is highly respected by consumers, and its environmental, simple, and 
human-centered design principles also resonate strongly.Its environmental protection, simplicity and 
human-oriented design principles also resonate strongly. In today's fast-developing commodity 
economy, holiday gifts are also being introduced, and packaging designs using wicker, bamboo, and 
hemp rope are emerging to attract consumers. 

3.3 The "color" of Muji 
Muji's design style is highly unified, and the colors are mostly monochromatic, which creates a 

unique and recognizable style. Each offline store is decorated with wooden materials and retains the 
basic colors of the materials. "It conveys the most objective sense of nature to consumers. When 
people walk into the store, they will be impressed by this feeling, which is the visual perception that 
Muji strives to create, giving people a sense of intimacy, and it tries to make you feel at home when 
you walk into the store. When you walk into a Muji store, you can not only admire but also touch, 
thus realizing a dual experience from the mind to the sense of touch. 

 
Fig. 7 MUJI store 

In Muji shops, bright colours are rarely seen, and apart from the red 'Muji' box, all other products 
are in a single natural colour, keeping to the inherent colours of the material itself, such as wood grain 
and transparent colours. Apart from black, white and grey, the colours used are mostly elegant and 
charming camel, and fresh and clean blue-grey. Even in the choice of clothing colours this principle 
is strictly followed, using only black and white, brown and blue to be. Never going outside the design 
principles to chase the alternative. It is this insistence that has shaped Muji, which looks understated 
and cool. This sensible, subtle and intellectual temperament is what makes Muji so fascinating. 

Muji has abandoned the traditional use of multiple colors. In its color system, the use of black, 
white and other pure colors is also influenced by the lifestyle of the Japanese nation, and is also 
closely related to the natural environment, religious beliefs and aesthetic standards. Based on these 
traditional Japanese aesthetic concepts, it is easy to find that the use of monochromatic and natural 
colors in Muji's design is one of its important characteristics. Powerful. Japan is an island country 
with limited natural resources due to volcanoes and earthquakes, and this has led to a strong sense of 
admiration for nature, which Muji has incorporated into the products that the public needs to evoke 
empathy and love. The paper packaging is as simple as possible, mostly using virgin pulp paper or 
unbleached brown paper, transparent and translucent materials, and the storefront is decorated with 
white and log colors to reflect a sense of originality.A sense of originality, clothing also use cotton, 
linen materials. This is inevitably related to the nature-loving habits of the Japanese people; on the 
other hand, it reflects the Japanese people's ecological and ethical attitudes and values; at the same 
time, it is also a concrete reflection of their national view of nature and traditional aesthetic concepts 



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4. Summary 
Muji's products are simple and elegant, but this minimalist style is not just a matter of subtraction. 

Rather than simply removing superfluous decorations in pursuit of a clean look or a sense of 
modernity, MujiI creates an ultimate "emptiness" with no restrictions on how it can be used or how 
it can be portrayed, and as much white space as possible. By analyzing the design elements of Muji, 
it is the simple lines, pure colors and simple packaging that guide it, and it is the integration of this 
silent beauty into the details that creates classic products. The essence of design is to create a better 
life, not only to give the user a good experience but also for the sake of sustainable development, 
eliminating superfluous production processes is also a contribution to environmental protection. With 
such products, Muji hopes to remain "naturally unmarked" and to continue to show people the true 
nature of life. 

References 
[1] Wan Fang. On Minimalist Design Concept of Muji [J]. Journal of Pu 'er University.2020,6.36(3). 
[2] Bao Hua-Lin. The design culture interpretation of Indigo's minimalism [M]. 
[3] Sun Yifan. Contemporary Minimalist Design from "Muji" [D]. Studies in Culture and Art, 2009, 77(11). 
[4] Bao Hua-Lin. The design culture interpretation of Indigo's minimalism [M]. School of Fine Arts, 

Liaocheng University. 2014, 6. 
[5] Kenya Hara. Design in design [M]. Jinan:Shandong People's Publishing House, 2006, page 34. 


	1. Minimalist style
	2. Muji's minimalist philosophy
	2.1 Muji
	2.2 The application of minimalism in Muji

	3. The visual expression of Muji's "minimalism"
	3.1 The "Shape" of Muji
	3.2 The "materials" of Muji
	3.3 The "color" of Muji

	4. Summary
	References