Flat Web Design – A Passing Trend Or A Game Changer?

Flat web design has been one of the hottest and most sought-after trends in 2013. But how much promise has it shown? Will it be able to pull off the same magic it has cast on web designers this year? We all know how the nature of trends in the industry these days is often short-lived, as no particular technique seems to have a long lifespan. However, this makes me wonder at times whether “flat design” is at all a trend in the first place. If taken a close look, isn’t flat design something similar to coming back to the simpler aesthetics of a minimalist approach?

Simply put, it is something like resetting the compass back to the design basics with keeping a room for working within responsive frameworks. So what are we getting at? Before we move forward to deduce whether flat web design is a passing trend or a game changer, we must look at the 3 foundations on which it stands.

Fast Loading Time

One must remember that this is the age of going mobile. And with the demand of “on the go browsing” increasing at a never-before-seen rate, it has become necessary to create websites which are light in weight in order to keep the loading time low. This is the reason why flat web design is the perfect choice for its simple imagery and plain color fields. Moreover, this design trend also negates the realistic dimensional effects in a website which got created with noticeable gradients and drop shadows. Lesser amount of gloss naturally means a faster loading time.

Pleasing Aesthetics

An aesthetically pleasing appearance is what comes after removing all the unnecessary items and keeping things to the bare minimum. In order to make sure that the design is easy on the eyes, focus on aesthetics is extremely tight. You can very well understand that the target is more on how the content is presented rather than solely on the design. This is why the use of icons, colors and typography is done with great care to ensure that the attention never shifts away from the content.

Easily Made Responsive

The biggest benefit of flat web design is that it doesn’t lose its impact when presented on smaller screens. Flat design is all about creating a 2D environment with minimal emphasis on depth. This acts as a major factor behind its flexibility. No matter what device is used to view a website, clear layouts guide visitors with ease. As a result, there is an enhancement in usability and functionality which add to a complete user-friendly experience.

The Final Thought

Flat web design is the resurgence of the minimalist technique, only that it’s more compact and streamlined now. And as we are so much in love with surfing on the go, it can very well be sufficed that flat web design is here is to stay… for a pretty long time.