Flat design trend and materialized design of UI

In fact, in this year or two, we can find that more and more of the program's GUI has become "flattened": Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and even Apple's chief designer, Jony Ive, also said that Apple would start to flatten a bit, WWDC2013 's new logo also shows the hint. So a lot of people ask, why is there such a trend?

I think flattening is an inevitable trend. is not simply because of aesthetic fatigue caused by changes in order to change, but mainly because of the high degree of digitalization of the daily life caused by more and more. With the change of the Times, on the one hand, the physical and chemical effects are less and more and more, on the other hand, flattening is more suitable for the new era.

　　About

The first thing to be clear: flat design is not to beat flat and beat flat, it is a design concept, color block is its external manifestations. In the same way, the materialization is not intended to be the object of the object, and the stereo is its external manifestation. This should not be a lot of controversy. This article will mainly from the object/flat set of starting point to discuss their characteristics of the times, rather than the external form, please keep in mind to avoid unnecessary misunderstanding.

The next thing to be clear and controversial is whether the object and the flattening are opposites. If flattening is an extreme, what is the other extreme? Although the starting point of the two is different but not exactly the opposite, but it seems that in addition to the object is not more suitable for the flat of the imaginary enemy. Speaking of style, in addition to flat and fitting, I also do not want to get other words, at least from the actual popularity of the change is indeed the case.

Some people say that the calculator example, Win8 's calculator is flattened, but also is still the materialization, the layout and the physical calculator is the same, so the Quasi object and the flat can coexist. At first glance it makes sense, but I think the example is not convincing. In fact, the digital computer itself is a flat calculator. Even if you don't think about the physical calculator, designing a calculator starting with the information architecture from 0 is likely to be a similar result. Not to mention that the digital calculator is literally a computer with a UI, except that the UI is very simple and the concept of the current UI is slightly different, not necessarily that we immediately realize is the UI. Does anyone remember the abacus? A bead represents one or five of an abacus, which is reckoned to be a calculator designed for materialization.

And as for the use of color swatch to draw a thermometer, with a color block to draw a mock clock or something, I say that the essence is still a quasi object. Rather than the so-called coexistence of forms. One more step, even if the proposed materialization and flattening is not antagonistic, it does not matter, it is also necessary to talk about the two.

　　The decline of the proposed materialization

Let's take a look at why this thing is intended to be materialized:

One of the ideals of Jobs ' interface design is that people of any age, anyone who experiences them, can easily grasp the usage of the device within a few minutes of getting it. So Apple uses People's daily experience to make a materialized interface that lowers the cost of learning and difficulty in understanding, as mentioned in IOS Human Interface guidelines:

"When you use visual objects and actions in your application to mimic objects and actions in the real world, users can quickly understand how to work with them." 」

The earliest most common materialization, perhaps, is the button, the projection of the expression can be pressed, the expression of the SAG has been pressed. Really understandable. At that time, the digital equipment was not very popular, there is no doubt that the effect is good. However, the popularity of digital devices + a versatile mobile phone, has become the beginning of the decline in physical materialization.

　　No need to reduce the cost of learning

Also said earlier, in the era of low popularity of digital equipment, the materialization is effective, I believe that the elderly/children who have never had access to digital equipment should be particularly effective tension pile.

But in everyone has a computer, everyone has a smart machine, day-to-day and learning/office can not be separated from the computer, do not use the computer like the Americans do not have a driver's license as strange information age, we still need to deliberately reduce the cost of learning for fear that users do not use it? Moreover, most software markets themselves do not take the elderly/children into account.

An advanced device has to imitate the ancient things to allow users to quickly understand, is a necessity in the transition of the Times. In the eyes of the future, a thermometer of the app to specially designed as a solid thermometer appearance, must be silly/egg pain through.

Further, the ≠ is efficient, deliberate in interaction, and sometimes it reduces efficiency. With the popularization of digital, people's demand for products is also changing, the following "digital infiltration of Life" section will be mentioned.

　　Failure

When a digital device can complete listening to music, writing things, looking at the map, telephone and other tasks, the traditional things will inevitably lose competitiveness and gradually withdraw from the stage of history. At that time, even if I wanted to do something, nothing could be prepared for you.

Icon is a good example: "Save" on behalf of the 3.5-inch floppy disk, representing the "message" Tape, bookmark ... Some young people do not even know the microphone, thinking that the so-called telephone is a piece of metal such as the iphone. In such a trend, the materialization, even if it still works, must be carefully chosen.

　The misuse of the proposed materialization

In fact, many of the proposed physical and chemical design does not conform to the original intention of the materialized design. Do not give a note software seal will affect user understanding? Does the calendar program have a page-flipping animation that helps users understand program usage?......

"So a weather app that uses a glass thermometer picture is intended to be materialized: the glass in the original (real thermometer) is necessary, and becomes fully decorated in the new design." 」

~ Sacha Greif

"In the real world, when a button is pressed, you can feel its resilience and elasticity, but on the phone or on the screen, there is a congenital deficiency of physical feedback." Your consciousness knows the existence of physics and is not materialized. So at least for me, it didn't actually meet the expectations and let me down. 」

~ Allan Yu (Svpply/ebay)

Even Wikipedia says:

"The design element of a product mimics its essential function in the original product design, but becomes a decorative design element in the new design"

　　Digital infiltration into life

People's impression of digital products is changing with the popularity degree.

In the computer is still a limited popularity of things, digital products in some people's eyes is a bit mysterious, "cool" and "fashion". Remember more than 10 years ago saw a lifelike metal shell of the player skin, really feel a dick burst! I think the computer is so handsome! So there have been many to me the same interface enthusiasts, fascinated by the gorgeous cool interface, can draw a gorgeous icon, into an IT big enterprise as a designer is also bag; No one is going to say that a person who draws a simple icon is a good man. Many GUI designs can convey a sense that "this is a computer, different".

That era, we are "enjoy the computer", the exquisite GUI is also one of the enjoyment of the link.

But now the digital products are widely infiltrated into everyone's life, become inseparable from the daily life of the part, digital products for us no longer have the mystery. Listen to the song to rely on it, to find information to rely on it, register to rely on it, find ways to rely on it, make plans to rely on it ... The frequency of computer use is so high that people's impression of computer slowly turns to efficiency, reliable and omnipotent. Do we need a very delicate and even gorgeous look for such a necessaries of life?

I believe that as pervasive computing penetrates, computers will become more and more pure to people-to perform the necessary tasks-and turn them off when they are done. The computer is a familiar thing that can no longer be familiar with, a diary program for the Future people, may be like a (true) notebook for us now: its role should be so pure and simple. More and more people think, "Why is it so complicated to do a typing program?" As now we see a fancy pencil in a flower that thinks, "Why does a pencil have to be so complicated?"

In the future, people's focus will be shifted from "enjoying the computer" to "using the computer as one pleases". GUI design is also bound to slowly discard the gorgeous skin, and focus on information and the task itself. Flat design is very suitable for this demand, of course, can also be changed, the proposed physical and chemical design in this scenario is a little superfluous.

Think about how the digital society of the near future will be. Corning and Microsoft have shown us their near-term outlook-whether it's AR or screen, a life full of UI. Not only is the use of scenarios fragmented, but the interface is also fragmented. Can you imagine what it would be like to have a GUI with a high light and a shadow when you look at a lot of UI at random?

The goal of GUI will shift from immersion to fragmentation, slowly to graphic design and industrial design, and form the grand unification of Design circle and life "material". In the more distant future, perhaps the button is not called button, called the trigger, such as more abstract names, or, simply do not have buttons of this kind of things, because the computer no longer need to manipulate the hand, perhaps even the GUI does not need, all will be the flow of information.

　　Aesthetic fatigue

Although aesthetic fatigue is a secondary factor, it can not be neglected. In that era, the GUI Circle had universal design aesthetics. In an essay published in Hackernews, Layervault's Allen Grinshtein said:

"Popular products in Web pages often have similar design aesthetics, such as stereo, inner shadow, and external shading. For designers, they will be proud to achieve this "kitsch" interface. 」

On the design of the world, Jane Long will be complex, long will be simple. GUI is no exception, whether the production side or the user, will be aesthetic fatigue. Even if not tired, some products need unconventional, different.

　　At last

In a comprehensive way, with the change of the Times, the "design" attributes of the proposed materialization are becoming less and more, thus gradually becoming a kind of "(visual decoration) style". As a design, the benefits of materialization will become less and fewer, and the consequent increase in the cost of development, aesthetic fatigue and other issues, so that the reasons for using it less.

Of course, the materialization will not disappear immediately, on the one hand style this thing does not exist good or bad, there will always be some people like, on the other hand, the individual procedures need fun and affinity, it is really necessary to use the proposed materialization. and minimalist design, also will be greasy and appropriate to add a number of decorative elements.

Finally, the reality of future technology development is no one knows, perhaps far slower than our expectations, it may be far faster than our expectations that the UI design has no second reincarnation directly into the mind control without the need for the UI. I'm just publishing my own point of view. Opinion is right or wrong, no one can make a conclusion now, nor is it the focus of this article. I hope that some of the ideas in this article inspire readers and stimulate further thinking.