Overview
Flat design is an aesthetic style that doesn’t use any realistic or three-dimensional visual effects. When designers pursue a flat aesthetic, they often end up removing most of the signifiers (visual clues that tell users what’s interactive) from their interfaces. This lack of signifiers, combined with the popularity of flat design in the mainstream web since 2013, has been slowly altering how your users move through digital interfaces.
If your organization is considering adopting a flat, flat-ish, flat 2.0, or minimalist aesthetic, you should first be aware of the potential consequences. Even if your site isn’t flat, you can bet your users are experiencing flat design on other sites, and it’s changed their expectations of your designs. This talk explains what’s causing this epidemic of click uncertainty, and how you can avoid its negative consequences.
Target Audience
Designers (visual/UX), UX researchers, front-end web developers, management
Five Things Audience Members Will Learn
- How to identify a flat design
- The origins of flat design on the web
- Findings from dozens of usability tests on flat sites
- How a flat visual design impacts interaction design
- How to create a flat design that doesn’t hurt usability
