Is less more?

In the Rococo period design was intricate and and interiors were opulently decorated. All elements of architecture were ornately adorned and lavish furnishings filled the rooms. In the Victorian period the opulence is more refined, but every aspect of a room is furnished. Both of these periods found intricate and busy design trends. The over designing of these periods often seems overwhelming and oppressive. The arts and crafts movement and later the influence of Peter Behrens simplified design. Lines became clean, and function took priority over form. While Behrens also thought every aspect should be designed, the design became minimalist. Later the Bauhaus would continue this modernist and minimalist style. The concentration on function over form changed architecture, fine art, and graphic design. Behrens was the first to create a corporate identity for a German company AEG. In the logo for the company Berhens used a simple geometric shape and type to express the mission and organization of the company. This simplification brought a clean, open, and industrial feel. While design now is not as industrial, the trend is still simplification. If a graphic is too complicated and complex, then it will not be understood or easily read. The most successful logotypes of today include and abstracted or simplified image and clear distinct type. For today, less is definitely more.