Decoding Flat Web Design Characteristics

Over the years, many website design trends have come and gone as professional Web developers around the globe have experimented with different styles, layouts and special effects. There’s a relatively new trend that designers are falling in love with, and it has gained some seriously sudden popularity. But just what is this digitally artful conception?

Flat website design, The Next Web notes, is a balance between aesthetics and usability rooted in practicality. Minimalism is the central focus of flat design, which borrows old styles and techniques from presently existing concepts, while, at the same time, creating new styles. Think of it as a digital renaissance. Here’s a simple decoding of some of the individual techniques that make flat styles so great.

Long shadows have been used by many Web designers and developers to add depth to their creations. Advocates of the flat revolution are starting to use shorter, less impactful shadows. Bigger isn’t always better; sometimes all it takes is a little intensity to make a bold statement on a webpage element.

What would life be without a little color splash? Because flat website design is so minimalistic, designers are incorporating bright, eye-catching colors to stop viewers in their tracks. Simplistic styles are great for webpages, but without some pops of color, consider them a blank canvas. Web designers should consider mixing different hues and stepping outside of their comfort zone to achieve colorful greatness. 

Perhaps one of the greatest challenges of developing a webpage is choosing the right font or typography. Not only should a page be easy to read, but it should also be creative. Many flat website designers are (surprise) keeping their lettering as simple as possible. Let the background take the spotlight with special effects; consider using standard fonts for user-friendly viewing. 

In the past, many developers and designers have put great effort into bold, obvious buttons. Ghost buttons are an innovative component to the flat style. These buttons look more like an outline, and they function best against a patterned or brightly-colored background. At first, they don’t look like a button at all, but they pay homage to minimalism.

Experts predict that flat website design will soon become the norm for Web developers and designers everywhere. Minimalistic and practical design can be hard to work with, but in reality it only forces designers to be a little more creative. Making a statement with the bare minimum is highly doable, and with the right basic elements, any website will come alive.