

Why Flat Design Doesn't Work - nish1500
http://ncrafts.net/blog/2013/06/why-flat-design-doesnt-work-while-skeuomorphism-does/

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fuzzywalrus
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 skuemorphic and flat. Flat is
hitting the reset button. If everything were flat, the internet would not be
better for it.

Skuemorphic is best used to communicate complex ideas that are aided by visual
illustration. Skuemorphic's main problem using analogies that don't need
defining. Apple's iOS Podcast app used a reel-to-reel animation. For anyone
under 40, this is silly. It neither communicates interaction more effectively
nor does it enhance comprehension. However, the application Propellerhead's
Reason, had a great deal of success using skeumorphic design to communicate FX
chains, allowing users to set up device racks and drag and drop the wiring to
set up complex FX chains. Flattening this probably would have diluted the
analogy. Where Skuemorphism went bad was when we started using it as
decoration like leather address books.

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

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Splendor
It sounds like the author is saying that only people who take the time to
fight through the noise of skeuomorphism will understand it (AKA skeuomorphism
is jazz?).

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likeclockwork
There is a rich middle ground between these two very extreme visual styles.

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nish1500
Agreed completely.

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rbosinger
I'm sure we'll come full circle on this.

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waraey
I see no compelling argument here.

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jinfizz
I see no argument at all. Just cloud-headed hands-wavey anecdote.

