A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words, but Is It a Thousand Too Many?

Using images is an important part of a website's visual design and user experience, and they play a significant role in the communication and attractiveness of the site. Images are not just pictures; they are part of the storytelling, communicating the values of the organization and the brand, thus engaging the user. This is how we’ve become accustomed to thinking. Many cultural institutions, museums, and galleries strive to create an immersive experience on their websites, and images, videos, animations, and similar elements play a role that is at least as important as text. But there is another approach I want to highlight: You don’t always need a lot of images—or any at all—and their absence can be as strategic a choice as their use.

In my last article, I wrote about Universal Design, which offers a good reason why using fewer images might be beneficial. For some users, excessive use of images and the potential visual clutter that comes with it can lead to sensory overload. By offering a visually calmer and clearer experience, you can gain a competitive advantage in certain target groups. This ties into one of my favorite themes: know your customer, and whatever you do, do it with their needs in mind!

Environmentally conscious web design and the digital footprint are emerging topics due to the internet’s significant energy consumption, and the absence of images therefore has an ecological angle. Using images increases the file size of websites, which in turn increases the energy consumption of servers. Reducing the number of images can therefore help lower a site’s energy consumption and benefit organizations that want to profile themselves as environmentally friendly. Of course, technology is already addressing this issue with efficient file formats such as WebP and AVIF, but these may not work on older devices or browsers.

Last but not least, let’s talk about minimalism and what it represents. You may have noticed that many tech and B2B companies use images very sparingly on their websites. They know their customers, as this style appeals to users who value clear, concise, and undistracted communication. Minimalist websites are as strong statement as an IT millionaire’s simple t-shirt and jeans.

The absence or minimal use of images and the white background of a website represent strong professionalism and reliability, and this association is very powerful. For certain sectors, such as law firms or consulting services, visual simplicity is used to reinforce the message that the company is trustworthy and professional.

In today’s world, minimalism is luxury. And less is more! I always enjoy saying this because it reminds me of my favorite character from Solsidan, Cliché Kjell. You should definitely check him out! You can learn at least what not to write on your website after you’ve built credibility through visual minimalism.

Thoughtful reduction of images on a website can provide a competitive advantage for certain companies or organizations, as long as it is implemented strategically and correctly. And as always, it is important to ensure that the visual and textual messages on the site seamlessly support each other, and that the service or product genuinely fulfills the promises made to the customer.