The term flat design can be disseminated in the past few years but has quickly become a major trend of the future. Coming here, flat design will appear again on one of the hottest products of the technology world is iOS 7 . So what is the flat design? And why did it become the trend of the future technology.
What is a flat design?
Definition, flat design is a method does not use any effects in designs such as shadow, bevel, emboss, slope and other factors contribute to the depth, highlights of the design on the screen to make the image easier. The name itself "flat" of this design also implied not contain 3D elements.Flat design is also considered a relative of Minimalist , stylish design a minimalist.
Therefore, it is easy to see in a design style is flat images, buttons and logos are usually simplified to the maximum, the style is different than the simulated designs are material Skeuomorphic used on iOS devices. Understandable words, planar design interface like apples and oranges as Live Tiles Windows Phone user or Metro UI on Windows 8.
Live Tiles interface is a typical example of the flat design
Having said that, does not mean flat design does not use any effects yet, flat design still contains some effect but the amount is less than other design styles.
Why flat back design to the throne?
1. Simplicity
As mentioned above, the most striking feature of the design is the simplicity that plane. This is the most outstanding features of this design. The simplicity of the flat panel design enabling designers to more easily create their own products. Instead of focusing on the effects and eye-catching image for your product design, they just need to pay attention to these factors less complicated.
One of them is the color factor can be considered mainstream style of this design. Try to get Windows Phone as an example: The window with colorful designs simple and easy than with the icons of iOS or Android. Instead of having to design an image for its products, the designers simply pick a tone and then apply a certain effect. In addition, combining the colors together in a design is also said to be simpler than is required to create the image relevance and similarity.
2. Applies strong and highly effective
Use as background color, flat design also bring positive for everyone because they will minimize distractions before a series of 3D imagery, as often seen. The interface design is often placed flat on the effectiveness beautiful. The button design flat design does not need too many and too complex.Just everything is clarified, the well will be effective for users.
Moreover, the use of eye-catching colors can also contribute to attention and create more powerful effects for users. Especially when the designers know how to work effectively with concrete grams strong opposition as black and white. That is probably what is wanted Johny Ive driven for 7 upcoming iOS in next time.
In addition to color, flat design also has the ability to impress users through other factors such as Typography . There are many definitions of typography in design, however, easy to imagine readers let us temporarily Read Typography is the arrangement of stylized fonts in a particular order or rule to get people to pay attention.
Typography is one of the reasons to bring efficiency to design flat with this design because users will get more information instead of just looking at the beautiful icons and alone. Anyone who has used interface of Windows Phone or Windows 8 can easily see this. Being able to see the direct application of information without having to open the actual application that is novel experiences and handy.
3. Overcoming weaknesses Skeuomorphic design (style simulated material)
Skeuomorphic design style is so realistic simulation possible using a reference image to the actual objects and apply effects to create depth. Let's look at the examples below to see it more clearly.
Some examples of design Skeumorphic
However, Skeuomorphic has exposed some shortcomings as follows:
- Interface is sometimes difficult to observe: As the clock icon that Apple uses in the picture above. Obviously when viewing pictures like this watch we will take more time compared to the number of clock hours and minutes only.
- How to simulate it may confuse developers: Finding and creating an image of Skeuomorphic cause difficulties for designers.
- Requires more screen space of mobile devices for unnecessary decoration: This is a practical design which placed heavy Skeuomorphic images with eye-catching decorations. For example, the design of the interface image above schedule, users often want to know today is how much those things. It is not necessary to show both a calendar month as a real.
- Limiting creativity: Design Skeuomorphic capital model is taken out of the actual material. So the designer does not need much imagination to do the things that I think the only way to make it possible.And high probability that there will be many "big ideas meet" with a little bit different.
- Being more hardware resources : Applying multiple effects in a well designed Skeuomorphic cons of this style because that would make the mobile device the weak capital strength hardware, small amount of time Battery power will have to be put out on display Skeuomorphic.
The above disadvantages can be overcome with completely flat with the design described above.
Structures
Style " false material " (Skeuomorphic) age was 33 years with a mission to create a material link between the old, familiar, and something completely new and hardly used as a computer to help users grasp start easier with technology.
However, today's times are different, the extensive development of the mobile device with the ability to quickly grasp the technological devices that users are gradually retreating Skeuomorphic. And flat design will have the task of replacing obsolete Skeuomorphic as an indispensable principle of evolution.
