Why flat interfaces matter

thetechblock.com

6 points·abdophoto··6 comments

I think people are reading too much into it. It's a fad. The flavor of the month. Don't get me wrong. I like the flat style. Imitating real materials like leather or fabric in apps and on websites was fine for a while. I guess it came with the technological progress like higher screen resolutions and more processor power. But now everybody has been doing it and it's getting old. And who knows what kind of apps and what kind of technology we're using in a couple of years that come with their own new style (that is not flat).

I voted you up because I agree overall, but I disagree that it's a fad. I've been creating "flat" interfaces for years.

When the whole "Web 2.0" hit with the shiny buttons and gradients, I briefly played with those design trends. But, as a fan of minimalist design, I always revert back to a simpler, cleaner, and flat design.

Yeah, this is just a cycle. Just wait for a year or two and skeuomorphic design will be back.

... and will seem fresh!

I think people are using the term "flat" to mean something other than just "flat-looking", non-rounded, non-glossy buttons. I actually prefer a term Microsoft popularized: "authentically digital". It means not pretending to be a physical button when it's just a patch of touchscreen, for example. But it doesn't just mean "flat-looking" which is pretty confusing!

The pendulum of design always has swung between fits of over-design to stark minimalism throughout modern history (the last 300 years or so).

There's a happy place to be found between skuemoprhic and flat. Flat is hitting the reset button. If everything were flat, the internet would not be better for it.

The best parts of "Flat" aren't the graphical elements but the close attention to functionality and interaction.

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