14. UI EVOLUTION
WEB 2.0
EARLY DAYS
(1995 – 2003)
Menu all very clickable
(2003 – 2010)
MATURE UI
(2010 –
Menu all hyper clickable
Design communicates
-
-
shadow, bubbles, glares,
Drop shadow
skeumorphism
Flat design
interactivity
2014
16. M i c r o s o f t : I t ’s H i p To B e S q u a r e
Authentically digital
Live tiles
Horizontal scrolling
17.
18. Google: Holding The Cards
Card-based design
Overall layout very clean and easy to digest
Textual information is organized per size and color and in order of importance
22. Apple: In With The Neue
Simpler icons, fresh type treatment and an overall flatter environment
Overall layout very clean and easy to digest
Lighter and breathable layout
23.
24.
25. In the guidelines published by Apple
for iOS7, “the UI helps users
understand and interact with the
content, not compete with it”.
27. I N F O R M AT I O N O V E R L O A D
Information overload
a reduction of clutter in a user interface (UI)
http://www.geckoboard.com/
28. SIMPLICITY IS GOLDEN
Simpler apps mean simpler interfaces.
http://www.geckoboard.com/
Beautiful and minimal: The Blue weather app by Oak.
29. CONTENT IS KING, AGAIN
a return to a focus on content.
focus on what things do, rather than what they will look like
Beautiful and minimal: The Blue weather app by Oak.
30. TECHNOLOGICAL LITERACY
Windows 8 & Chrome for Android support touch commands that start off screen,
without any visual indicator.
Beautiful and minimal: The Blue weather app by Oak.
31. TECHNOLOGY’S INFLUENCE
Less assets in general (e.g background images)
Screen dimension & pixel density factor
Resolution independence (svg + icon fonts)
Beautiful and minimal: The Blue weather app by Oak.
As a constantly connected culture, we deal with a nonstop flow of information, some of it important and relevant, most of it not. We are constantly evaluating, filtering and, of course, creating content, and it all gets pretty exhausting. In addition, much of our content consumption has moved to devices with small screens, thus exacerbating that feeling of overload. Becoming overwhelmed is all too easy, and a reduction of clutter in a user interface (UI) can create a little visual zen.
As a constantly connected culture, we deal with a nonstop flow of information, some of it important and relevant, most of it not. We are constantly evaluating, filtering and, of course, creating content, and it all gets pretty exhausting. In addition, much of our content consumption has moved to devices with small screens, thus exacerbating that feeling of overload. Becoming overwhelmed is all too easy, and a reduction of clutter in a user interface (UI) can create a little visual zen.
As a constantly connected culture, we deal with a nonstop flow of information, some of it important and relevant, most of it not. We are constantly evaluating, filtering and, of course, creating content, and it all gets pretty exhausting. In addition, much of our content consumption has moved to devices with small screens, thus exacerbating that feeling of overload. Becoming overwhelmed is all too easy, and a reduction of clutter in a user interface (UI) can create a little visual zen.
As a constantly connected culture, we deal with a nonstop flow of information, some of it important and relevant, most of it not. We are constantly evaluating, filtering and, of course, creating content, and it all gets pretty exhausting. In addition, much of our content consumption has moved to devices with small screens, thus exacerbating that feeling of overload. Becoming overwhelmed is all too easy, and a reduction of clutter in a user interface (UI) can create a little visual zen.
Whereas traditional software developers tend to load their products with a glut of features to justify the high price tags, this shift towards focused micro-apps favors simplicity over feature set. Simpler apps mean simpler interfaces.
Whereas traditional software developers tend to load their products with a glut of features to justify the high price tags, this shift towards focused micro-apps favors simplicity over feature set. Simpler apps mean simpler interfaces.
As smartphone and tablet adoption has rapidly penetrated all user demographics, concern about the obviousness of controls has reduced. Whereas we once feared that users might miss a button if it didn’t pop off the screen, we are now willing to explore subtler interactions. Windows 8 and Chrome for Android even support touch commands that start off screen, without any visual indicator.
Most software will be limited by the platform on which it runs. Screen dimensions and pixel density are the confining factors of hardware. A minimal interface demands a very limited design palette, which means that every element needs to sing. Typographic scale and font weight will largely determine both the aesthetics and usability of a flat design. If your target devices can’t handle that level of nuance, you’re out of luck. As screen size and pixel density continue to increase on mobile devices, thinner and smaller type can be presented with better clarity. Of course, support for @font-face has also boosted the appeal of minimal typographic-focused designs.
One could certainly argue that flat UIs lend themselves to it more easily than many other styles. The other advantage of minimal design is the reduction in page weight and loading time.
