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Because shadows and corners are unneeded. We needed to root the web experience into something familiar. So buttons had to be big round and push-able and volumin
by venomsnake 13y ago
Because shadows and corners are unneeded. We needed to root the web experience into something familiar. So buttons had to be big round and push-able and voluminous.
The same way it is with current weird looking save and telephone icons (floppy and classic phone).
Currently there are kids clicking icon of a 3 1/2 inch floppy that haven't been born the last time one of those was used outside the corporate and government depths.
- vidarh 13y agoGUI's used to be flat. Windows up to 3.1. AmigaOS up to 2.0. MacOS. TOS. Athena widget set etc. They were all flat, and to a certain extent colourless. We added bevels and colour because we could, and because it stood out against the competition, and it was fresh and new. And then we piled on the bling next time around because the entire competition had beveled, colourful UI's. And it carried over onto the web, because we could and were already using it everywhere else. And now it's flat that is fresh and new again. This is trends and fashion much more than it has anything to do with familiarity and usability.
- kpreid 13y agoThe old flat had border lines (usually black lines between light-colored backgrounds). The new flat uses differences between background colors to mark the same sorts of boundaries. I think this makes enough difference that it's worth considering them distinct.
- RivieraKid 13y agoColors and decorations are usually unneeded too but flat design uses them.