What is flat design and what can we learn from it?
Design has gone through many phases and trends, as would any creative field. A while ago we were all into textures and shadowing, attempting to bring to life what was on the screen - giving it depth and realism. Now we have taken a step back and are starting to design more minimalistic websites which are more user focused. That, my friends, is Flat Design in a sentence.
A perfect example of flat design is the new Windows 8 interface. It is clean, utilises open space, has sharp edges, it's bright and has flat illustrations/icons. This flat design approach was taken to minimise clutter and any unnecessary elements on the page. The core to Flat Design is basically if there is a design element on the website which may distract or interrupt the user experience, it is deemed to have no functional purpose therefore being stripped from the final website design.
So what can we learn from this new approach? Well because design is now being stripped back, we can focus more on the user experience and journey they will have on the website. It will allow users to judge more accurately if the website works.
There are some fundamental elements which should be applied to a website design in order to achieve the best result, these include concise copy, clean icons, clear buttons and links. By applying these design fundamentals, it will ensure your site is more user friendly, user focused and therefore more likely to result in high conversions.
