Minimalism favors short, task-oriented content over long, narrative material. Often based upon minimalist theory, the 'Plain language' movement seeks to present information in a way that makes it as easy as possible for people to understand, most often by removing unnecessary complexity and specialized terminology from documents.
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Using an extended example, this article shows how it is possible to reduce the number of words in a text and at the same time increase readability.
Unwalla, Mike. TechScribe (2003). Articles>Writing>Technical Writing>Minimalism
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Engineering Terms in Plain English
Twenty terms from engineering writiting translated into the vernacular.
PlainLanguage.gov (2004). Humor>Writing>Engineering>Minimalism
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Fixing the Flaws in the Ten Principles of Clear Writing
More importantly, most lists of ten principles of clear writing are not really principles at all, but rather tips and technique. Understanding why you are doing something, i.e., the benefit you will gain, helps ensure that you will actually do it and do it consistently. Too often, when we are told only what to do, we follow the instruction half-heartedly, inconsistently, or not at all.
Yaffe, Philip. IEEE PCS (2008). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric>Minimalism
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An IBM Ease of Use poster with the message 'Focus on Simplicity.'
IBM (1999). Design>Presentations>Posters>Minimalism
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From Gobbledygook to Plain English: How a Large State Agency Took on the Bureaucratic Form Letter 
In an effort to reduce phone calls and improve customer service, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries(L&I), in July 2001, launched 'Plain Talk' – a year-long project to rewrite 100 bureaucratic form letters into plain English. Hundreds of thousands of form letters are used each year by L&I to process claims, to issue workplace safety and health citations, and to handle many other workplace issues. As the Plain Talk project manager, I decided to focus on the department’s highest-frequency form letters and now work with 12 programs to rewrite them into clear and simple language. The effort is backed by a strong message from the governor and agency director, high-quality training, ongoing mentoring, and “reality check” usability testing. The project is due to be completed by the end of June 2002.
Botka, Dana Howard. STC Proceedings (2002). Articles>Language>Writing>Minimalism
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From Plain English to Global English
Make your documents easy for EFL users to read and understand, and communicate successfully with people all over the world. About one billion people use English as a foreign language (EFL). You can avoid most pitfalls of cross-cultural communication by using global English.
McAlpine, Rachel. Quality Web Content (2001). Articles>Writing>Localization>Minimalism
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Try to rid your writing, especially business writing, of unnecessary words. They take up space, look impressive only to naive readers, and say nothing.
Leigh, Heather. Crazy for Words (2007). Articles>Writing>Technical Writing>Minimalism
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Everything that goes into your web site must have a purpose. Every single element and decision must help users achieve their goals and support the site's goals.
Hunt, Ben. Web Design From Scratch (2006). Design>Web Design>User Centered Design>Minimalism
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Good Legal Writing: of Orwell and Window Panes
George Orwell once wrote that `[g]ood prose is like a window pane.' What I take Orwell to have meant by that remark is that when people read good prose, it makes them feel as if they've `seen' something more clearly.
Samuelson, Pamela. University of Pittsburgh Law Review (1984). Articles>Writing>Legal>Minimalism
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The Great Myth That Plain Language Is Not Precise
Occasionally, when you try to convert from legalese to plain language, someone will come forward and assert that you made a mistake. You missed something in the translation. You inadvertently changed the substance.
Kimble, Joseph. Plain Language Network (2000). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric>Minimalism
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The remarkable growth of the information technology industry has created a tremendous opportunity for people with skill putting words on paper. Technical writers, once a rare and highly skilled position, are now as common as fruit flies—though they take up a lot more space. Yet the pay is pretty good considering how little work they actually do, so young English-major weenies desperate for employment continue to swarm around IT companies, hoping for a bit of rotting fru—er, looking for a plum position.
PlainLanguage.gov (2005). Articles>Writing>Technical Writing>Minimalism
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A History of Plain Language in the United States Government
Awareness of the need for clear language isn't new in the US government.
Locke, Joanne N. PlainLanguage.gov (2004). Articles>History>Writing>Minimalism
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How Important Is It To Streamline Communication
Today's organizations must contend with increasingly complex communications environments that feature a wide array of communications methods. Employees, business partners, and customers communicate with one another through infinite combinations of phones, voice messaging, e-mail, fax, mobile clients, rich-media conferencing and other communication gadgets. One thing that is very important is proper communication. Whether you use the age-old snail mail or an email, the key to success lies in effective communication. One should get clear message as to what exactly is required or told by you. It is very important to streamline communication whether you are conversing in person or through an age-old snail mail, email or over the phone.
ArticleMuse (2007). Articles>Communication>Collaboration>Minimalism
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How to Create a Site Where Users Can Actually Find Information: Interview with Thom Haller
Thom Haller, information architect and director of the Center for Plain Language, talks about how to create a site where users can actually find the information they're looking for.
Haller, Thom and Tom H. Johnson. Tech Writer Voices (2007). Articles>Interviews>Web Design>Minimalism
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The phrase 'Plain English' (although widely used) is a little misleading. It is nothing to do with the English language as such. The principles outlined here apply to writing in any language. A more accurate expression is 'plain language'.
Ziska Designs (2003). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric>Minimalism
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How You Can Make Plain English Work for You
Plain English is good, clear writing which communicates as simply and effectively as possible. But it is not a childish or simplistic form of English.
Government of Australia (2003). Resources>Writing>Rhetoric>Minimalism
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A Humanistic Rationale for Technical Writing 
A discussion of how to argue that technical writing has humanistic value. Reviewing the common belief (at least in 1979) that tech writing was of necessity a 'skills' course, this article counters the traditional 'plain style' rhetorical theory by suggesting possibilities for professional and theoretical alternatives for the field.
Miller, Carolyn R. North Carolina State University (1979). Articles>TC>Rhetoric>Minimalism
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An IBM Ease of Use poster with the message Keep it Simple.
IBM (1999). Design>Presentations>Posters>Minimalism
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Simplicity is probably the most important underlying factor when it comes to the performance of any web page...whether it be your home page, an interior page, a sales page or a landing page. Here are six ways to keep your pages simple, and increase conversions.
Usborne, Nick. Excess Voice (2006). Design>Web Design>Writing>Minimalism
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Making the Invisible Visible: Process, Inspiration and Practice for the New Media Designer
Hillman Curtis' minimalist approach to design also appears to be his approach to writing. In just a few words he captures the essence of what it means to be a New Media designer and what it takes to push into unknown territory.
MacLaughlin, Steve. Boxes and Arrows (2002). Design>Multimedia>Writing>Minimalism
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A Mathematical Theory of Communication
The article entitled 'A Mathematical Theory of Communication', published in 1948 by mathematician Claude E. Shannon, was one of the founding works of the field of information theory. Shannon's paper laid out the basic elements of any digital communication.
Shannon, Claude E. Bell System Technical Journal (1948). Articles>Communication>Theory>Minimalism
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Links to resources about the Minimalist Model applied to documentation and training.
Ryder, Martin. University of Colorado at Denver (1995). Articles>Language>Rhetoric>Minimalism
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Review: Minimalism and Documentation
What is minimalism? Is minimalist documentation 'risky,' and if so, what can be done to mitgate the risk? Was the structure of Windows 95's Help based on John Carroll's Minimalist Model or was 'the result' more a Microsoft business decision -- or a bit of both?
Eiler, Mary Ann. Kairos (1997). Articles>Reviews>Documentation>Minimalism
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Minimalist Strategies for Improving User Documentation
Those who use our products often ignore our best efforts at good documentation because they prefer to explore and learn by trial and error. Several researchers have developed document strategies that might help our users explore, learn, and recover from their errors. In order to use these strategies, however, technical communicators must get to know their users better, prototype their documentation, and test it on their users. Researchers need to tell us more about active learners and strategies for meeting their needs.
Elser, Arthur G. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Documentation>Quality>Minimalism
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"More is Less" for Many Home Entertainment System Users
The days of a single remote for the TV or cable box are long gone. Like ants at a picnic, the control pads have invaded the nation's coffee tables. But unlike ants, remotes evolve rapidly. Not only are there more, but many sport added buttons and complexity added each time a model is upgraded with new features.
Sidener, Jonathan. San Diego Union-Tribune (2006). Articles>User Interface>Usability>Minimalism
