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“ The Rise of Minimalist Branding: Does Less Design Equal More Trust?”

Bourdon, Lucie LU and Al Jundi, Hana LU (2025) BUSN39 20251
Department of Business Administration
Abstract
Minimalist Branding has become popular as a branding technique in a time of visual overload and growing customer distrust. With an emphasis on cultural and age differences, this study investigates whether minimalist branding increases or decreases consumer trust. Using a qualitative research design built upon constructivism and interpretivism, this study conducted five focus group discussions involving participants aged 18-35 years across Sweden, France, Canada, Thailand and the Middle East. The study found that minimalist design often enhances trust by signaling both clarity and authenticity. However, its effectiveness is moderated by several factors including cultural norms, industry context and generational variation. Across more... (More)
Minimalist Branding has become popular as a branding technique in a time of visual overload and growing customer distrust. With an emphasis on cultural and age differences, this study investigates whether minimalist branding increases or decreases consumer trust. Using a qualitative research design built upon constructivism and interpretivism, this study conducted five focus group discussions involving participants aged 18-35 years across Sweden, France, Canada, Thailand and the Middle East. The study found that minimalist design often enhances trust by signaling both clarity and authenticity. However, its effectiveness is moderated by several factors including cultural norms, industry context and generational variation. Across more symbolically rich cultures and high-end product categories, minimalist aesthetics were often viewed as cold or lacking identity. The findings suggest that while minimalism can be a powerful trust signal, it must align with cultural expectations and balance uniqueness with minimalism. Therefore, this thesis contributes to the branding theory by clarifying when and why minimalist design can foster consumer trust. Practical implications highlight the importance of aligning minimalist strategies with local cultural values. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Bourdon, Lucie LU and Al Jundi, Hana LU
supervisor
organization
course
BUSN39 20251
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
keywords
Minimalist Branding, Consumer Trust, Brand Authenticity & Visual Clarity.
language
English
id
9200018
date added to LUP
2025-06-30 12:09:35
date last changed
2025-06-30 12:09:35
@misc{9200018,
  abstract     = {{Minimalist Branding has become popular as a branding technique in a time of visual overload and growing customer distrust. With an emphasis on cultural and age differences, this study investigates whether minimalist branding increases or decreases consumer trust. Using a qualitative research design built upon constructivism and interpretivism, this study conducted five focus group discussions involving participants aged 18-35 years across Sweden, France, Canada, Thailand and the Middle East. The study found that minimalist design often enhances trust by signaling both clarity and authenticity. However, its effectiveness is moderated by several factors including cultural norms, industry context and generational variation. Across more symbolically rich cultures and high-end product categories, minimalist aesthetics were often viewed as cold or lacking identity. The findings suggest that while minimalism can be a powerful trust signal, it must align with cultural expectations and balance uniqueness with minimalism. Therefore, this thesis contributes to the branding theory by clarifying when and why minimalist design can foster consumer trust. Practical implications highlight the importance of aligning minimalist strategies with local cultural values.}},
  author       = {{Bourdon, Lucie and Al Jundi, Hana}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{“ The Rise of Minimalist Branding: Does Less Design Equal More Trust?”}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}