Comments on: How to Nail the Coveted Flat Design Look (9 Actionable Tips)

By: Linus Mary

Linus Mary — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 14:02:06 +0000

This is what I’ve been looking for. Thanks! This is a sort of Flat Design 101. I am an amateur graphic designer and a fan of flat design and UI interface.

By: Igor Ivankovic

Igor Ivankovic — Tue, 15 Oct 2013 15:44:14 +0000

Flat design is getting more popular by the day, although it’s not a great fit for every website, but for my website it was a natural choice!

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 20:58:21 +0000

Hi Tom,

It help me make my website look better and more flat. Keep up the good work!

Thx

By: Tom Ross

Tom Ross — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 18:00:48 +0000

Thanks Brittany. Have you attempted any flat designs yourself?

By: Brittany

Brittany — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 22:40:36 +0000

This is a great intro into the world of flat design. Thanks, Tom!

By: Tom Ross

Tom Ross — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 09:50:50 +0000

I totally agree Dianne, which is why I was trying to be fairly neutral in my article by just pointing out how to mimic the trend.

I’ve seen a few bright yellow sites with bright white text over them and it really turns me off.

I do think usability should always come first, although saying this, I think we can push our typography a little further with their being less distractions. Previously white text on a bright background would have been impossible, but now it can look attractive (and be legible) once all other distractions are stripped away.

By: Tom Ross

Tom Ross — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 09:49:01 +0000

Thanks a lot Mark, I thought it was about time someone broke down the principles of flat design in a guide form.

I really like flat design, but I’m a bit on the fence with you. As with any trend it can be overdone, or done badly. I also don’t think it’s an absolute necessity that people follow trends, as individual style is equally important.

I agree about responsive design being a leading cause though. It’s much easier than slicing up some over-detailed .psd to emulate flat design in code form.

By: Dianne

Dianne — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 23:34:23 +0000

It’s nice that this is trendy, but take a look at some of your examples and notice that it is difficult to read the text with some of those palettes. I don’t see the point of being trendy if it turns off someone trying to get information from the website. Tiny white letters on pastel backgrounds or on busy backgrounds are a huge turnoff to me because of the difficulty of reading the text (the white or yellow or red lettering on black backgrounds that vibrate horribly was another trend I hated). I’m not the target audience, obviously, but am I the only one who won’t return to websites whose designers are insensitive to the fact that their decorative urges overwhelm common sense in the ability to communicate?

By: MarkT

MarkT — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 16:20:24 +0000

Great summary of the current state of play, Tom, and well-selected examples too.

I suppose the huge rise in use of flat colours in web design has come out of the need to create responsive websites, as flat elements scale much more readily than gradients and complex imagery.

Most of the discussions I’ve seen around flat vs skeuomorphic design tend to land in a ‘like vs hate’ argument, which I’m going to try and swerve. In fact I’m deliberately going to sit on the fence and say that BOTH can be beautiful if done correctly.