And now for some Platitudes: flat design

Very trendy, flat design is a minimalist graphic style that has become popular in recent years, both in web and mobile interfaces and in print. Simple but not simplistic, it sparks creativity and the imagination and makes colours pop. Ready to give it a try?

Flat design is a graphic design style focused on minimalism. In contrast to realistic, detailed design, delicately referred to as skeuomorphism (skeuos = ornament in Greek), flat design eliminates elements considered decorative or superfluous (details, shadows, 3D effects, etc.) to focus on content and functionality. In fact, flat design appeals to the user’s imagination. Instead of explaining the purpose of an interface element, it is conveyed in the simplest way possible.

Largely inspired by Bauhaus and the famous “less is more” philosophy of architect and designer Mies van der Rohe, flat design relies not only on clean lines, but also on colour and typography: colours are used to highlight specific elements, such as the overall structure (both in print and on screen) and to prioritise content. These are often flashy colours that energise the whole and allow the user or reader to easily find their way around.

Similarly, typography, used for both its geometric and informative aspects, can structure messages and clearly organise their content.

The current trend for flat design is often associated with the revolutionary interface of Microsoft’s Windows Phone, released in 2013, which was its first example. Goodbye realism, goodbye material effects! Microsoft’s goal was to distinguish itself in the mobile phone market and create a design that adapted well on mobile phones and other devices. The formula of Sam Moreau, Windows Design Director, is very much in line with Bauhaus principles: “Content is the interface”. With such a shift in graphic paradigm, many companies have gradually followed suit, contributing to the widespread adoption of flat design, including Google and many others.

Indeed, flat design offers several very appealing advantages:

• from an aesthetic point of view, it is more pleasant, lighter, stronger
• it is timeless
• the simplification it requires allows for great creativity
• it involves the user in the creative process by having them decode simple shapes and colours
• the information is clear, very pure and very graphic.

However, like any aesthetic choice, it is only valid if it responds to a logic of meaning, information, or even navigation if it is for web use. And while it has many qualities, flat design can err on the side of overzealousness and appear simplistic, unrefined and garish with overly bright colours.

In short, it must be handled by expert hands for suitable projects because, as in many other fields, it is very complicated to keep things simple.