Minimalism as Distinction: How Design Aesthetics Reinforce Class Through Simplicity

This paper, "Minimalism as Distinction: How Design Aesthetics Reinforce Class Through Simplicity," explores how minimalist design, often celebrated for its simplicity and functionality, has evolved into a coded marker of elite taste and cultural capital. Drawing on Marx's commodity fetishism, Bourdieu’s theory of distinction, and Latour’s actor-network theory, the paper critiques how brands like Apple and Muji, as well as designers like Tadao Ando, use minimalist aesthetics to mask labor conditions, reinforce social hierarchies, and cultivate exclusivity under the guise of universality. It ultimately questions the ethical and social consequences of minimalist design in a capitalist framework.