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I see no snark on display. I also see no arguments or reasons on display to support your position.

That is to say:

1) I can see that you don't like Material but _why_ do you not like it? Because it's new is not a reason because it can be both new _and_ adhere to tried and tested design principles, put forward new ideas for consideration, and be aesthetically pleasing

2) Why don't you like iOS's new UI language?



This is the second time in the thread that I've been asked this, so here's my non answer.

I feel that there's plenty of literature out there that details the faults and flaws in all the new UI languages from different vendors, and unless I write my magnum opus on UI design, I'm only going to be able to offer broad strokes commentary that would be child's play to pick apart on the surface and just drag us all into a meandering argument.

And I feel I factored this into my original comment. For example, I specifically avoided the word 'flat'. There's nothing inherently wrong with something being 'flat', and there are plenty of scenarios where one could quite easily argue in favour of a flat design over a 'lickable' drop-shadowy visual feast. So to mention it in passing wouldn't be worthwhile.

But 'flat' is only one adjective you can use to describe the current UI trend. Many have been referred to in this thread. Animation, depth, ui-as-content and so on. The topic is greater than the sum of it's parts. I also feel that there are also no absolute right or wrongs and I didn't want to kick off one of those sorts of debates stroke arguments. I suppose I'm not scrutinising the implementations but rather questioning the motives.

In addition, my comment was as much about 'how we got here' rather than the problems with 'where we're at', which I believe totally undermines the current state of UI design. For that, I don't think there is much out there to support my view other than the history we've lived through, and we can each interpret that as we see fit. So that part you can take or leave. I offer it as an opinion. I believe the opinion will hold up to scrutiny, but at this moment in time, it's anecdotal.

In summary; I was deliberately vague.


Flat UI has fewer affordances (or "signifiers" as Donald Norman now refers to the concept.) For examples of issues caused by this see http://uxcritique.tumblr.com




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