Skeuomorphic vs. Flat Design: Is Skeumorphism Revived? [2023]

You might have heard about skeuomorphism and might have Googled the word as well. Surprisingly, it is ones of the most Googled word here. If you are too here in search of it, then the following article is for you.

It covers all about the UX design models, specifically Skeuomorphic and flat designs. So do give it a read!

What Is Skeuomorphism?

Skeuomorphism is a design approach where digital objects are made to look like their real-world counterparts through the use of textures, shadows, and other visual elements, in order to create familiarity and provide a sense of intuitiveness for users.

Skeuomorphic Design Examples

There are multiple skeuomorphic design examples and comparisons to non-skeuomorphic designs that you may find.

Find the best skeuomorphism design along with comparisons below to understand the concept better:

An app’s skeuomorphic style shows an image of a sandwich that seems natural to the users.

The example is an example of modern skeuomorphism, which shows the evolution of bins icon over time.

The following image is the logo of one of the famous skeuomorphic apps dealing with notes.

The example exhibits apple skeuomorphism and compares the flat safari app of apple and a skeuomorphism app.

One of the best examples of skeuomorphic buttons is the image below. It shows a comparison where the off switch is a flat UX design whereas a skeuomorphic button.

What Is Flat UX Design?

Flat UX design is a design approach that emphasizes simplicity and minimalism, using two-dimensional elements, bright colors, and simple shapes to create a clean and modern aesthetic. The focus is on functionality and usability rather than on imitating real-world objects, resulting in a more streamlined and intuitive user experience.

Flat UX Design Examples

Given below are some of the top-notch examples of flat UI designs:
The image below is a flat UI design of a bulb with vibrant colors and a simple interface.

The following image shows a comparison between a skeuomorphic UI design and a flat UI design. The right one is the modern logo for the camera app.

The famous Starbucks has also incorporated flat design UI components in its logo, as shown below:

The picture below compares the old Instagram logo, a skeuomorphism icon, and the new icon made up of a flat mobile design.

The very famous Microsoft has stuck to its flat design for years with some of the most appealing colors and minimalist design as depicted below:

Something New to Consider: Material Design

Although you must have been familiar with skeuomorphism web design and flat UX design, the term Material Design would not be something you would have heard before. So what is material design, and how does that matter to you?

Simply, it is a unique system created by Google to assist people in designing interfaces of top- notch quality with excellent user experiences. The design system enables users to create some exceptional designs for the web, Android. iOS and even Flutter. The features the designs language offers are matchless and realistic with animations, lighting effects, motions, and even three-dimensional effects. The primary inspiration behind adopting such a design in 2014, back when skeuomorphism UI design was popular, was the physical world consisting of paper and ink. However, the elements are flat, like in flat UI design but with an authentic feel.

Some examples of material design are as follows:

Skeuomorphic vs. Flat Design

Skeuomorphic design is a design approach that uses visual elements to mimic real-world objects or materials, while flat design is a design approach that uses simple, two-dimensional shapes and icons without attempting to mimic real-world objects or materials.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Skeuomorphic and Flat Design

Skeuomorphic Design

Advantages

• It makes an intuitive experience for the users as they get familiar with functionality right after looking at the design.
• It helps build a perception about the app, leading to a stronger association with an application if done rightly.
• It assists in developing creative, stylish, and fantastic skeuomorphic design elements.
• It is loved by everyone as it is more appealing and based on real-life objects, so it is more prevalent among owners of businesses.

Disadvantages

• It draws the users’ attention more to the design and style of the user interface and less on actual functionality.
• It does not adapt to the modern innovations in the design field and is not made for all types of websites on the internet.
• It can mislead the users as a skeuomorphic interface is all about the copy of reality and not about what exactly the app offers.
• It requires a lot of attention to creating something that is precisely like real-world objects.

Flat Design

Advantages

• It is the talk of the town, one of the hottest trends among graphic designers worldwide.
• It has one of the most straightforward mobile interfaces among all other UX design models with clean flat design software with simple elements, colors, fonts, lines, shapes, etc. It is simple to use, and users do not have to search through to find different things on the interface; everything is just there, right in the front.

• It attracts the user using some of the best color palettes with beautiful hues that are eye- catching. The users feel an instant boost in their mode when they have such an appealing interface and feel the urge to engage with it.
• It has a great type making it an excellent UI design model for all sites.

Disadvantages

• It is too simple for users who are familiar with complex interfaces.
• It has too many colors that are often difficult to match to create the right combination with harmonious hues that appeal to the users immediately.
• It confuses people at times; they do not understand which is for what as the icons and their functionalities are not as clearly defined.
• It cannot deliver complex visual messages to the users.

Material Design

Advantages

• It consists of proper rules along with documentation depending upon different demands of designers for various structures. Additionally, it provides predefined solutions to design problems.
• It is a skeuomorphism flat design that is intuitive, user-friendly, engaging, and welcomes feedback.
• It consists of colors, with dark and bright themes for sites, depending upon their preferences.
• It offers complete flexibility to the designers to design in their unique way using different design elements.

Disadvantages

• It only allows using the design system offered by Google while restricting other branding tools.
• It offers animations, colors, and images that are often cognitively distracting for the users.

• It has set rules and material styles that designers are bound to follow and can be only be changed with permissions.

• It consumes a lot of battery of ones’ phone due to lots of animations.

2023: What Is the Best UX Design Model?

There can never be one answer that fits all when deciding the best UX model for your site. The answer varies from business to business. For instance, if you are a brand that sells games, a material design would be a great choice as it offers some appealing animations. Conversely, if you are an owner of an app that requires more interaction, say a messaging app, then a flat design mobile app would be an excellent idea. However, if you want to give a more authentic feel to the users, then skeuomorphic interfaces would work for you.

All in all, consider the targets, objectives, products/ services, and target audience of your brand and then decide the UX design model.

Conclusion

Undoubtedly, previously, the design world was dominated by skeuomorphism windows, apps, icons, etc. However, in between, the trend shifted to flat designs, but now seemingly skeuomorphic plans are likely to make a comeback. Irrespective of the UX design model you choose, go for the one that can accommodate innovations.