More Things to Read

Workspace Setup Revisited
I shared my workspace setup last year, but since then, I have changed a few things, so I felt it’s probably time to share an update on my current setup for both hardware and software.
The Beauty of 3D Printing
We are seeing 3D printing evolve better than ever before and making this technology more accessible to the general public presents an interesting future for design, sustainability, and curation.
Minimalissimo LAB
I have been making efforts to create a Minimalissimo LAB: a virtual environment that encapsulates all that Minimalissimo makes, curates, and publishes.
Minimalism Life V3
A site redesign that places a greater focus on typography, readability, performance, and user experience. All in the name of minimalism.
Building a Membership
An experiment to generate passive income for greater sustainability, engage more with our community, design things members can use, and discover how advertisement-free reading is valued.
Focused Reading
How do you read without distractions? A look at how we can improve our reading experience and a few fine examples that deliver that experience well.
A Book on Minimalism and Simple Living
We published a book. Inside Minimalism Vol.1 is a collection of 50 short and relatable essays on simple living by a small team of writers from different backgrounds.
Saved Time
In recent months, you might have found yourself with an abundance of time that has come to you unexpectedly. But how are you spending all this saved time?
Modes of Life
We all go through cycles (or modes) in life. Modes realised through self-awareness that become a method of changing things when feeling stuck. I reflected on some of mine.
Web Design and Carbon Impact
How can we, as web professionals, help to make the web more energy efficient? Some advice for anyone publishing on the web.
Support as a Business Model
I am experimenting with a model that centres around support and kindness, rather than advertising. Putting the reader first and financial gain second.
Phone Setup 2020
How my phone looks in the year 2020, how it has changed, and how it might change in the future.
Minimalism, Marketing, and Digital Sales
Over the past 12 months I have been working extensively in making and marketing digital products in various forms and on various platforms. Now I just need to figure out how to market them.
White Space
White space is an important element of design, which plays with the visual balance of positive and negative spaces in order to achieve a particular aesthetic. But it also goes beyond design.
Simple Living Is Simpler Today
We are currently living more isolated lives, and for some people a life of solitude. There’s massive disruption. Yet now is the time for slow and simple living, and it can be pretty simple.
Workspace Setup
As more of us are working remotely—particularly from home—I thought it might be quite timely to break down my current home workspace setup.
Good Interviews
In early 2019, I came to the realisation that people prefer to read about people more than they do about things. It’s not exactly a phenomenon, but it was significant for the
For Digital, For Print
Over the past decade, the debate between print and digital has been prevalent. For those dedicated to and passionate about print, there is an unwavering defiance and likely
A Studio, but Simpler
I love designing websites. It’s something I’ve been doing for almost 15 years. Yes, I’m that old. Whether basic one pagers or comprehensive sites with design systems, I’ve had the
Nuances of Minimalism
Minimalism can be perceived in different ways, as it should be, because there are in fact many nuances to the movement. Is it even a movement? It’s perhaps better described as a
Home Investments
Many people are choosing to slowly improve, enhance, and invigorate their living spaces by making subtle but significant changes to their homes with the addition of good quality,
10 Years of Minimalissimo
Has Minimalissimo really been running for 10 years?! It's a question I've asked myself more than once. It's something I'm incredibly proud of actually. Running and sustaining a
Gestaltung
It may came as no surprise that one of the most influential figures in my life (whether he knows it or not) is the renowned German industrial designer, Dieter Rams . His work
Better Connections
Are we spending enough time with people we can really learn from? Are we having enough conversations that move us forward rather than discussing the mundane things in life? We are
There Is Only Time
Balance is a really tricky word, because I don’t think there’s such a thing. There’s just time. There’s just where you are and what you do. And it doesn’t make sense for me to
Phone Setup
Ever since I moved from the iPhone to the Blloc Phone , I wanted to further reduce the number of apps I had installed. Not just because I wanted to reduce my screen time and have
Trusting Your Intuition
In the world of digital product design, trusting your gut might not be considered the most responsible thing to do, particularly given that we have access to a ridiculous amount
Selling Digital
The idea of selling digital products is growing on me. Firstly, the simplicity and speed of delivering a digital product is far greater than that of a physical one—logistically
Learning a Second Language
How I envy polyglots. They have remarkable minds, and a remarkable dedication to learning. How some people are capable and proficient in reading, writing, and speaking several
A Little Meditation
I have always appreciated the practice of meditation and what it can do for the mind, including how it can help control our emotions. I've been reading up on it a little more
Reductive Residence
“The home is what a bear would know as a cave. It's a space to be an animal, really. You can chew your bone in the corner and nobody will bother you. It's a laboratory for
Blloc Phone
I’ve been embedded within the Apple ecosystem for years, using an iMac at home as well as the office, owning an iPhone since the iPhone 3G, and my latest investment was a pair of
Minimalissimo Shop V2
The second project of the year has successfully shipped: Minimalissimo Shop Version 2 . I don’t know why I held WordPress in such high regard for so many years—it’s Starbucks of
Minimalism Life
Over the past few months I’ve been working on completely redesigning and rebuilding a site from the ground up. This week we launched Minimalism Life Version 2, and it’s a project
Focus Is About Saying No
Focusing our minds is essential to productivity, high performance, and awareness, but our focus is constantly under siege by things grasping for our attention. Some of us may
Deceptive Simplicity
All design should be simple for users to understand. However, simplicity in design is one of the most difficult things to do well—to find a balance between intuitive functionality
No More Side Projects
Generally speaking, side projects are great things. They offer us opportunities to create something new. Sometimes these are merely hobbies and sometimes these are projects we’d
12 Things to Live Without
In 2018 I undertook a social experiment to see if I was self-disciplined and self-aware enough to live without 12 things. These 12 things would last just one month at a time
Tweet Less, Write More
It has never been simpler to create a personal website than it is today. There are dozens, if not hundreds of companies that provide you with all the tools you need to create your
Five Principles for Minimal Design
Minimalism in design has been engrained within my thinking ever since I was introduced to the work of Dieter Rams. He revolutionised industrial design in the 1950s and 60s through
Stepping Back from Black Friday
The psychological warfare that is Black Friday. It is a time when consumerism is manipulated so intensely that people lose control of themselves, as well as their wallets. This
You Strapping?
We always seem to be aware of time, or rather, we feel we must be aware of it. The time of year, the time of day, and even how our time is spent. And for good reason—it helps us
New Creative Direction
I have been involved in running Minimalissimo since 2012, when I took it over from two Dutch designers Maarten P Kappert and Stan Grootes—who did an incredible job to gain a
Monetising Minimalism
To keep a site sustainable, it needs to be funded to some extent. Enough at least to tread water, but more heavily if the site (or project) is to evolve to any meaningful degree.
Capsule Wardrobe
A capsule wardrobe is simply a collection of essential items of clothing that don’t really go out of fashion, which can then be augmented with seasonal pieces. Although a capsule
Mnmllist
When we adopt the minimalism ideology, we use it primarily as a tool. A tool to rid the excess in life to make way for that which is important and for the things we value most.

Carl Barenbrug

Creative Director

Minimalissimo

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I’m Carl Barenbrug, a multidisciplinary maker (or Gestalter) currently living in Edinburgh. I run Minimalissimo—an independent magazine and creative studio dedicated to minimalism in design.

If you simply want to say hello, or if you’d like to hire me as a consultant for a particular project or to collaborate on a product design, please get in touch.

See what I’m working on now.