There once was a time where internet looked real. Where the camera icon had a glass lens, and the Windows icon looked like a summer breeze. Now, the camera icon is usually just a collection of same-coloured shapes, and the Window has never been more boring. God is dead, and we killed him with flat design.

Skeuomorphism in UX/UI is often associated with dated technology. The 2000s and early 2010s were rife with detailed icons and glossy blobjects. Think the iMac G3, or Clippy. I fear there is this idea that skeuomorphic designs cannot look modern and fresh, which is simply untrue. Just look at this Figma UI pack! The beautiful leather stitching and texture combined with a luxury-esque bottom-up lighting on the glass buttons certainly exudes a sense of progress and modernity.

Despite this, softwares that include skeuomorphic design are still uncommon. This is why I was so excited when Apple introduced their Liquid Glass design language. Apple’s design choices often influence the industry as a whole (iOS 7 causing a massive shift toward flat design), and Liquid Glass was certainly a move away from flat design. While it has its drawbacks, I appreciate its refreshing take on UI design.

I think there’s still a fair case to be made for flat and minimalist designs. They’re very readable and clean, and can still be very elegant. Yifan’s portfolio is what I would consider flat design, and it’s quite a treat for the eyes—but too often I will find flat designs that have absolutely no personality. Perhaps this is a sign to redesign my own website…

Anyways, I’ve put off finishing this post for so long that MacOS 27 has been released (I started writing this like a whole month ago), and with it came Aqua-like traffic light buttons. I’d just like to say I’m a huge fan. Thank you to the Apple design chief. See you all in the next post.