Flat design is a
popular design style that is defined
by the absence of glossy or three-dimensional visual effects in the graphical
elements of a web page. Many designers consider it to be an offshoot of minimalist web
design.
Flat design is a
style of interface design emphasizing minimum use of stylistic elements that
give the illusion of three dimensions (such as the use of drop shadows,
gradients or textures) and is focused on a minimalist use of simple
elements, typography and flat colors Designers may prefer flat design
because it allows interface designs to be more streamlined and efficient. It is
easier to quickly convey information while still looking visually appealing and
approachable. Additionally, it makes it easier to design an interface
that is RWD changes in browser size across different devices. With minimal
design elements, websites are able to load faster and resize easily, and still
look sharp on high-definition screens. As a design approach, it is often
contrasted to Skeuomorphism and rich design.
The combination of
bright colors and exotic
typography has paved the way for unique flat interfaces. Minimalism is
a big part of this design idea, and you can see how popular these trends have
become in recent months. Flat website design is a brilliant concept because it
focuses solely on the content
The Origins of Flat
Design
The release of
Microsoft’s Metro design language and Windows 8 in 2011 was particularly
influential in popularizing flat design. Microsoft’s design documentation
referred to its new style as "authentically digital" — a phrase that
neatly captures the appeal of flat design for many designers. Unlike
skeuomorphic design, flat design was seen as a way to explore the digital
medium without trying to reproduce the appearance of the physical world.
The flattening of
Apple’s homepage provides a useful benchmark for the growth of the trend’s
popularity. Skeuomorphism and realism had long been trademarks of Apple design,
and its homepage resisted the flat trend until around 2013.
Principles of Flat Design
No Added Effects
Flat design gets its name from
the shapes used. Flat design employs a distinct two-dimensional style that is
simply flat.
The concept works without
embellishment – drop
shadows, bevels, embossing, gradients or other tools that add depth. Every element or box,
from image frames to buttons to navigational tools, is crisp and lacks
feathered edges or shadows.
Nothing is added to make elements
look more realistic, such as tricks designed to make items appear 3D in skeuomorphic design projects.
Layers used in flat design mirror those in other projects, but the planes do
not intersect leaving a distinct background image, foreground images or
buttons, text and navigation.
Simple Elements
Flat design uses many simple user
interface elements, such as buttons and icons. Designers often stick to simple
shapes, such as rectangles, circles or squares and allow each shape to stand
alone. Shape edges can be perfectly angular and square or include curvature.
Each UI element should be simple and
easy to click or tap. Interaction should be intuitive for users without a lot
of in-design explanation.
In addition to simple styling, go
bold with color on clickable buttons to encourage use. But don’t confuse simple
elements with simple design, flat design concepts can be just as complex as any
other type of design scheme.
Focus Typography
The tone of typefaces should match
the overall design scheme – a highly embellished font might look odd against a
super-simple design. Type should also be bold and worded simply and
efficiently, in an effort for the final product to have a consistent tone
visually and textually.
Focus on Color
Color is a large part of flat
design. Flat design
color palettes are often much brighter and more colorful than
those for other sites.
Color palettes for flat design
projects often contain many more hues as well. While most color palettes focus
on two or three colors at most, flat design palettes may use six to eight
colors equally.
Usability Problems with Flat Design
The biggest problems
you will face when designing a flat website are the interactive elements.
Visitors need to know which areas of the page are plain static content, while
other areas are clickable and draggable and whatnot. Flat design can still use
light shadows and edge effects to imply this interactivity.
Flat 2.0 design helps
out to overcome Flat UI design usability problems.
Google’s Material design language
is one example of flat 2.0 with the right priorities: it uses consistent
metaphors and principles borrowed from physics to help users make sense of
interfaces and interpret visual hierarchies in content.
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