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  • Bobby 1:13 pm on October 17, 2014 Permalink |
    Tags: flat design, ,   

    Why the Flat Design Trend is Hurting Usability.. or is it? 

    An older article about Why the Flat Design Trend is Hurting Usability, got me thinking about this subject again.

    I agree with some of what the article is saying, though I feel saying flat design is hurting usability is a bold statement. I would say instead that designers use of flat design can sometimes be taken too far. When this happens the whole reason to use “flat” as a design technique can backfire  and will created the opposite visual advantages, making the design harder for someone to use.

    I’ve written about this before, but I believe the answer lies somewhere in the middle of skeuomorphism and flat.

    Google does a great job of this I believe. They have flat looking designs but when needed aren’t afraid to use a drop shadows, gradients and strokes for depth and separation of objects.

    I personally feel this technique isn’t skeuomorphic nor is it 100% flat. I’ve ran into more instances where a slight separation is needed to make something stand out of a design or separate it from another element.

    As a designer it’s my job to make solve a problem for a user. If the solution is a slight gradient on a button to make it look like something that is active and requires action, then there is NO harm in doing so and if done well, doesn’t date the design or make it look non-modern.

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  • Bobby 10:16 am on January 29, 2014 Permalink |
    Tags: flat design, minimalistic,   

    A Look at Flat Design and Why It’s Significant | UX Magazine 

    flat design is more than just an artistic treatment; it’s a response to the serious functionality issues that skeuomorphism presents.

    Another excellent read about the positives of the Flat Design “trend”. What I like about this one is how they tackle the subject of it being a trend. Is it really a trend or is it a solution to a problem?

    I think these 2 bullets pretty much explain how and why flat design is the right way to approach web design.

    • Embracing the limits of the screen and working within those parameters rather than trying to disguise them.

    • Using this newfound simplicity as a starting point for streamlining designs, and making websites faster and more functional.

    The author also articulates the point about how going “flat” doesn’t mean you have to go without perspective and dimensionality:

    Flat design doesn’t necessarily mean that anything hinting at dimensionality is out of place. For example,this website features an angled illustration with a clear perspective. But the overall trajectory of the trend is towards simplicity and minimalism. The buttons are plain fields of color with sharp corners. There’s not a drop shadow, beveled edge, or gradient to be seen.

    Once again UX Mag publishes an article that is a must read for any designer out there.

     

     
  • Bobby 5:13 pm on December 10, 2013 Permalink |
    Tags: flat design   

    A letter from a flat designer. 

    A letter from a flat designer. — Design/UX — Medium.

    Great read about flat design and some of it’s challenges and techniques to consider.

     
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