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- Skeuomorphism contrasts with Flat Design. The realism that flat design was a direct revolt against, stripping away the textures and gloss after iOS 7 in 2013.
Summary
Strip away the depth and let color, shape, and type do the work.
Interfaces that imitate the real world, so the screen feels like the thing it replaced.
Era
2010 to present
1980s to present (peak 2007 to 2013)
Origin
Microsoft (Metro) and Apple (iOS 7)
Apple interfaces and the GUI desktop metaphor
Character
Minimal, Bold, Clean, Digital, Systematic
Realistic, Tactile, Familiar, Ornamental, Dimensional
Color
Flat Blue, Turquoise, Sunflower, Alizarin, Clouds, Wet Asphalt
Leather Brown, Casino Felt, Brushed Aluminum, Legal Pad Yellow, Linen, Gloss Highlight, Emboss Shadow
Type
- Roboto
- Open Sans
- Montserrat
- Caveat
- PT Sans
- Georgia
Traits
- No depth cues
- Solid, bright color
- Simple geometric shapes
- Typography-led hierarchy
- Content over chrome
- Grid and whitespace
- Real-world metaphor
- Material textures
- Depth from light and shadow
- Perceived affordances
- Glossy, dimensional icons
- Ornamental realism
Best for
- Content-first websites & marketing
- Dashboards & data interfaces
- Cross-platform & responsive systems
- Mobile apps & icon sets
- Design systems & component libraries
- Onboarding & first-run experiences
- Music, audio & creative tools
- Games & playful, branded apps
- Note-taking, books & reading
- Children's & education apps