Minimalism in design descends from the Bauhaus principle that form follows function and the Swiss / International Typographic Style of the 1950s, which reduced graphic design to grids, sans-serifs, and asymmetric layouts. In architecture, Mies van der Rohe's "less is more" became a dogma. In product design, Dieter Rams codified it into ten principles, the first of which is "good design is as little design as possible."
On the web, minimalism emerged as a reaction to the cluttered, ornamental interfaces of the early 2000s. Apple's website became the canonical reference — white backgrounds, thin Helvetica, enormous product photography floating in space. By the early 2010s, minimalism was the dominant aesthetic for anyone wanting to signal taste, quality, or sophistication.
It remains the baseline from which most other web aesthetics define themselves. Maximalism is its negation. Neubrutalism is its structural opposite. Glassmorphism borrows its spaciousness but adds the decoration minimalism forbids. Every style on the web exists in relationship to minimalism — either extending it or rebelling against it.