Skeuomorphism vs Flat Design

Discussions revolve around the debate between skeuomorphic and flat UI design trends, with many users expressing nostalgia for skeuomorphism, criticism of flat design's usability and aesthetics, and hopes for its revival.

➡️ Stable 0.7x Web Development
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Keywords

EVERYTHING MS UX HN ONE HackerNews wikipedia.org PICK en.m OS flat design gradients ui buttons uis older versions shadows designs apple

Sample Comments

acchow Sep 17, 2013 View on HN

Why did they have to remove "good" skeuomorphism when going flat? :(

blegit May 20, 2020 View on HN

Are you talking about bringing back skeuomorphism, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skeuomorph or is that too far?

Apocryphon Nov 3, 2024 View on HN

Could a pullback from flat design and a revival of skeuomorphism be far behind?

stickhandle May 17, 2013 View on HN

Flat design or subconscious skeuomorphism? Both (therein lies the genius).

kunai May 28, 2013 View on HN

I'm quite sick of the hordes of Flat Design submissions clogging the HN frontpage.The issue here is that skeuomorphic UIs are commonly mistaken for "realist" UIs. Any application that resembles a calendar, whether it has fake leather stitching or not, is a skeuomorph. Any presentation software that creates slides that look like old 35mm projection slides, is a skeuomorph. A trash bin is a skeuomorph. A word processor that emulates a sheet of paper, with margins, is a skeuomorph. Any applicati

fouc Feb 15, 2022 View on HN

I've seen a lot of love for skeuomorphism on HN

gjvc Dec 20, 2023 View on HN

I wonder if this has parallels where people drop flat look-and-feel for more 3d/skeuomorphic look-and-feels

ilrwbwrkhv Dec 18, 2023 View on HN

Can the flat design trend end now and go back towards skeuomorphic when UI designers actually needed some talent?

gfodor Jan 19, 2013 View on HN

Skeumorphism is a continuum. On the one end, you have the "tape deck." On the other end, you have subtle shadows, bevels, indentations, and so on.Sorry, but I think turning everything into solid colored rectangles is throwing the baby out with the bath water, and largely misses the point. When you design an app you have to choose for different pieces where on the continuum they should lie. The only way to know where the limit is is to try it, and Apple obviously in certain cases found the lim

Double_a_92 Dec 4, 2017 View on HN

Yes, but flat design! hipster screech