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>I really, really hate that 99% of all UX designers are basically graphic designers who are good with visual flourish but without the tiniest bit of interest in
by pembrook 8y ago
>I really, really hate that 99% of all UX designers are basically graphic designers who are good with visual flourish but without the tiniest bit of interest into half a century worth of HCI research into what makes interfaces visually easy to read
You probably won't be downvoted because of the audience bias here, but that's like saying "I really hate that 99% of all engineers are basically code monkeys with zero understanding of...[insert thing here]"
It sounds like you've simply worked with bad designers and/or got burned by a bad redesign of a product you use. Sorry. Just know you're throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
First, you seem to be confused about what skeumorphism is. You're arguing about shadows. Skeuomorphism is not about shadows. Skeuomorphism is when you design a digital interface to mimic the old "real world" task it is designed to replace. Like how Apple Books used to have a literal 3d bookshelf as part of the interface.
Moving away from this is not a "trend." It is the natural progression of technology. When more people read words on screens than they do on paper, the bookshelf ceases to be an affordance--it just becomes distracting visual noise.
Shadows play a large role in most modern "flat" interfaces. Material design is just one example. Not sure what your point is here?
- fxfan 8y agoEven if he is wrong about the literal meaning of skeumorphism- he very well pointed out what was right about the windows UI. And I think his intension with the charged statement was to convey the meaning that people talk without knowing what they are talking about.
- pembrook 8y agoMy intention with discussing the meaning of skeuomorphism is to also convey that people talk without knowing what they are talking about. Being vaguely angry about "young designers" and their "hip flat interfaces" is a common trigger on HN. I've seen it here countless times, and its rarely insightful. The argument is rooted in a the fallacy that designers only care about making "pretty" things. Likewise, I've also heard it the same way towards engineers. 99% of engineers only care about cool technical solutions and not meeting users needs. When you've drawn such a broad stroke, it's not a basis for good discussion...just a flamewar.
- fxfan 8y agoI think he only got the name wrong- he was right about what caused Win UI to "just work" and in general about how the shadow stuff is useful
- vanderZwan 8y ago> Being vaguely angry about "young designers" and their "hip flat interfaces" is a common trigger on HN. No, the triggering part of your message was the "nostalgia" claim, which isn't supported by the evidence. Even young people typically have an easier time finding their way around interfaces with an older visual design than a modern flat design (all else being equal). This has been tested. The fact that you claimed it anyway tells me that you have opinions on UI design but don't bother to check if they hold up.
- fxfan 8y agoWould you mind pointing to a good resource with a brief write up on the state of the art of good UI, as you pointed in your first comment? I'd also like to read up on the shadow stuff a bit, on how to do it right.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- vanderZwan 8y agoI have a master in interaction design and I'm being critical of my own field. EDIT: Also, no, I did not misunderstand what skeuomorphism is, your own definition of it is what is too limited. Using fake depth and shadows on a design element to give it a 3D look like a real-world button is a form of skeuomorphism, because it relies on an understanding of real-world buttons that can be pushed.