Minimalism/Flat UI on iOS

There’s been so much talk recently about flat UI vs Skeumorphism that I wanted to put some words forward on my own opinion. It also ties in with a free UI shot and an accompanying ‘flat’ iPhone 5 psd which I created for people to work from/use as they see fit.

As much as I love minimalist design, completely ‘Flat’ design (with it’s noticeable square corners, lack of shadow & highlights etc) just doesn’t sit well on the iOS platform. The prime culprit for me is Any.do, which whilst lauded for beautiful design, falls flat (ARF) when using it on my iPhone because the complete lack of affordance seems so polarised to the native style that it jarrs.

The real argument is not that skeuomorphism is redundant but that the current implementation and legacy of iOS feels corny and contrived.

I ‘m well aware that this is an entirely personal opinion but this is me putting my flag in the ground. Minimalist design doesn’t have to hold to entirely removing any sense of press states, corner-rounding or shadows. iOS apps can still be ‘flat’ but keep a sense of interaction (which was dearly needed when the iPhone - a new concept - was launched).The real argument is not that skeuomorphism is redundant but that the current implementation and legacy of iOS feels corny and contrived.*

I’ve created a UI resource psd for reference which can be found here (note: I’ve updated this link now) which pulls back all of the overlay texture and gradient heavy styling that’s been prevalent for so long but still keeps an idea of interaction which is dearly needed for it to feel native to the platform. Technically this entire design is flat; there are no gradients. But I’ve kept the sense of layers and real-world affordance, one of the things which made iOS so immediately appealing for so long.

The screen is hardly comprehensive but was more of an experiment to see how far I could pull it back to flat but keep it feeling native. There’s a small selection of buttons and icons, a ‘cards’ main-body interface (which is such a prevalent theme these days in UI design),and the like.

DOWNLOAD THE FILES HERE (updated link)

As a bonus I’ve included a version housed in a completely flat iPhone 5 psd which I’ve created more as a way of showcasing work whilst de-emphasising the device itself, but figured it’s appropriate here.

Update: I’ve completed a set of iPad 3, iPad mini & iPhone 5 in this style now, available here.

*Great article about this from theinteractivist here