The Downsides of the ‘Flat’ Design Trend

If you are someone who is keenly following the trends and updates in the digital media space as well as the work of digital marketing agencies, it is likely that you have heard of the flat design trend.

Worried that the name does not sound familiar? Whether or not you can name it, you’ve seen it.

If you’ve visited almost any website or used a PC or Mac in the past 2 years (in other words, if you’ve engaged with technology), flat design has become the prevailing look of choice. Wide images, small color contrast, and simple icons – these are all hallmarks of the aesthetic trend. What began as a cool, minimalist option has nearly become a mandate, as both Windows and Apple now use flat design as the signature look of their operating systems.

Advocates of the Swedish-based aesthetic cite its simplicity and user-friendly nature (ideal goals of any website design) as big benefits. While these claims aren’t false per se, more and more critics are finding fault with the flat’s limitations. Indeed, when taken to the extreme, flat design can actually negatively impact your website’s usability.

To understand what’s wrong with flat design, let’s first take a look at why it became so popular in the first place.

The anti-realism

In many ways, flat design was a direct response to skeuomorphism (try saying that 10 times fast… or 1 time at a normal speaking rate). The term refers to the realistic nature of website design. Sites and apps were used to incorporate stronger color contrasts, and serif typography, and generally featured more lifelike imagery. In many ways, the design itself was on display at the start of the show.

However, as providing valuable content to users became a top priority by Google (and as a result, everyone else), design trends started to shift. Designers moved away from realism and instead embraced minimalism. Rather than distracting people with ornate visuals, they now existed to emphasize the content.

The simple, clear, uncluttered design was intended to improve usability, especially on mobile devices where more and more people were accessing the internet.

However, as flat design ages, it’s beginning to show some cracks in the foundation.

Here are a few key ways in which flat design can hurt your website.

User un-friendly

The irony of flat design is that, while made for usability, it can actually confuse people. It can provide clarity and focus for your content, but the aesthetic often makes desired actions ambiguous. For example, if you have icons on your website or app lacking in color gradation (a common characteristic of flat), then they tend to blend in with the background. Without a distinct border or difference in dimension, it’s not immediately clear what icons are clickable.

Similarly, you lose the impact of visual hierarchy. It takes users longer to figure out where to look on your page if you can’t use color to emphasize an intuitive flow for the eye. While this does not sound all that scary, there is reason to be concerned. As per Branding agencies, if your customer gets frustrated due to these design challenges, it can badly backfire for your brand. It can show the search engines that people are not spending too much time on your site and that your site has a high bounce rate. This is something that you want to avoid at all costs.

Too minimal

Flat design is not without its visual appeal. To some extent, minimalism makes everything look cool and sleek, and in a way projects confidence (why overdo it with the design when the basics work just fine?).

However, when pushed to its extreme, minimalism just looks… boring. At this rate, we’re headed for websites featuring only plain text on a page. No contrast. No imagery. Just a dry copy. Does anyone really want to see that? Content should take the focus of a website, but there’s no reason why you can’t make the context visually compelling. The world of web design los angeles is one that is always changing and as a brand, you need to change with the times as well. Spicing up your content with the perfect visuals can not only help keep your viewers on the page for a longer amount of time but can also make sure that they keep revisiting your page over and over again.

Too mobile-friendly?

With the rise of mobile, brands simply can’t afford to have a responsive website. You risk losing a huge portion of your business if your site can’t render well on a cell phone or tablet. Part of flat design’s purpose is to create a visual language that works on desktops just as well as it does on a 6-inch screen.

However, as demonstrated by Windows 8’s first go-around, this doesn’t always pan out. When first introduced, Windows 8’s interface just didn’t work well with a keyboard and mouse, as it was meant primarily for touch screens. Additionally, while minimalist, drop-down menus are ideal for a cell phone, they’re not as dynamic on a desktop. Plus, flat design. So, when you are opting for website redesign services, these are all the things that you need to keep in mind. A good rule of thumb is to beta test your website pages for both desktops as well as mobile use so you can get a good understanding of how your end viewers will interact with the pages.

Less unique

Creative Agencies will tell you that the number one thing you need to do to make a name for yourself is to not follow any such rules of number one things to do. It is only when you do something that no one else would have even considered that you will be able to make a name for yourself in the industry. Like any other trend, once it becomes status quo, those who embrace it no longer stand out. Because you have so much competition online from other businesses, your website needs to establish a clear brand identity. Having a flat design will make you look contemporary, but it won’t do much to set you apart from everyone else. If all sites use flat blocks of color with text, then no one will stand out. If you can’t convey your brand’s personality right away through catchy visual design, then no one will remember you.

What’s the solution?

Currently, few alternatives threaten to usurp flat design as the reigning aesthetic, but more and more websites are playing with the format. Dubbed “almost flat”, this off-shoot of flat design keeps the emphasis on content by reducing the amount of visual clutter. However, it selectively uses gradients and drop-shadows to make certain elements of content pop. As a result, you can establish visual hierarchies and cues, all of which help improve usability. If this sounds like something that you and your brand would be interested in doing, all you need to do is contact a website design company. Today, all of the best website designers in the market are familiar with the almost flat design and would be happy to administer it for your site. Another thing you need to keep in mind is that these two are not the only options for website redesign that are available in the market. There are multiple options that you can play around with to finally get the website of your dreams.

To see how any of these design elements might work for your website, contact SPINX Digital. Our team of expert designers can create a visually pleasing and highly usable design aesthetic.