Here’s an interesting article on the recently popularised ‘flat’ design style which is taking prominence over the, now dated and sometimes ridiculed, skeuomorphic style many of us have become accustomed to.
The author makes an interesting comparison between the style progression happening now and the progression that occurred throughout the first half of the 20th century;
‘In its desire for authenticity, the Modern design movement curbed the ornamental excess of the 19th century, making design fit the age of mass production. Today, we’re seeing the same desire for authenticity manifest itself in the “flat” trend, which rejects skeuomorphism and excessive visuals for simpler, cleaner, content-focused design.’
You can read the full article here.
Skeuomorphic design isn’t bad per se – well implemented skeuomorphic design elements can build familiarity and convey functionality, important ideas and even feelings to users. However, what we’ve been seeing with some apps websites over the last few years is complete overkill. It’s time to give those over-milked skeuomorph udders a break.