Gradients are Back to Rock the World
Okay, these first few words are for the 90’s folks:
Remember the WordArt we used to love in Windows…what was that 98, ME? No presentation would be complete without typing at least “Thank You” in the last slide in those “gorgeous” fonts. And then, as we grew up we started looking back at it kind of like “OMG! What was I thinking!”
You know what, maybe we were thinking in the right direction. Look at web design trends now. Bold colours, large and erratic typography and gradients (who would have thought gradients!) — they’re all back. And they’re taking the whole conventional pattern down one at a time.
Basically, we have had enough fun with flat colours. They are limited. There are no more than perhaps 20 colours that are used in website designs. There goes our 20 shades of fun and newness. We demand more — more variety, more fun, more new.
And lo! Here comes our forgotten hero: the gradient. We have welcomed it with open arms and cheers, we have loved it and though we think we know why, do we actually know why we’re so happy to see gradients back? The question should rather be reframed as, do we know what made gradients come back into the design world?
Because flat colours are limited.
Yes, we did touch this point. This is, probably, the major reason why gradients were requested back into our web world. Limited colours mean limited scope for us to explore. We have made every possible combination of colours, tried every possible design style but ultimately here we stand, facing a dead end of opportunities.
With gradient, however, the possibilities are limitless. This not only helps us to create something new for our ever-hungry mind but also opens up doors for new brands to forge their unique identity. How?
You see a particular set of blue, and you think “Facebook!”. You see another lighter shade of blue, and this time you think “Ah! Twitter.” A specific set of colours reminds you of Google while another set of more or less the same colours reminds you of Microsoft. It turns out that every large brand has picked a colour palette for itself. With flat colours limited to only 20 and with thousands of brands coming up everyday, what are the options of standing out in the crowd?
See, this is where gradients can save the day. Instagram has always been a pioneer in its field and with its rebranding, too, it has brought something new.
Asana is another brand has already embraced sober gradients (unlike the bold colours of Instagram) with its rebranding.
Because gradients are close to reality.
Everything we see around us comes in shades, right? Nothing comes in flat colours. It would only seem natural to us if the things we see on the web come in shades, rather than in flat colours sprawled across the screen in different shapes and sizes.
With designers trying to make web interactions more humane, it only makes sense if they’re trying to give webpages and screens a realistic look. The best thing about gradients is that they add a depth and contrast to the interface, can provide a natural flow of colours and can be used to create a pseudo 3D effect, thus mimicking the real world to a great extent.
Because gradients are memorable.
When we see or experience something new and wonderful, it sticks to our memory. Bring out a similar experience, and we’ll always revert back to the first one. Something similar works with gradients.
Gradients are beautiful, undoubtedly. Of course, one must create them beautifully, but that’s no rocket science. On top of that, gradients are new…well, kind of. They had been dormant for years and now they’re here. So, yeah, they’re somewhat new, especially considering the current style they have adopted. We are not used to seeing gradients a lot. So, when we see one, it immediately gets registered in our minds as a new nameless colour, “Hey, that’s new! What do they call it?”
Because gradients are fun.
Who doesn’t love a splash of colours! Of course, gradients are fun. Duh!
Beautifully blended colours convey happiness and friendliness. People are easily drawn in to these emotions. Intelligently done, gradients can tell a lot about your ability and flexibility to move with changing trends. These also make users more comfortable to interact with you.
After all, who doesn’t like happy, open-minded people?
By the way, did you notice how old things are making their way back to the top again? Music from the 70’s and 80’s are back in movies, fashion from the same era have made a comeback with few alterations, and now its gradients. What’s next?
About the author:
Sudeshna Adhikary is a UX researcher at Design Studio. Creativity is her middle name. Exploring, learning, believing in super-human powers, talking and eating are her favourite things to do.
