Flat Design and Moving Beyond 200 ppi

Visually, web design is changing. Currently clean beats fancy. Windows 8 was really influential in this regard, and then Apple ditched skeuomorphism when it launched iOS7.

Apple and Android mobile devices are increasingly adopting retina displays. Unless you bump up the resolution of your design, the quality will be poor on these new displays. The days of designs below 200ppi are gone; retina displays have changed the game for designers.

The embrace of higher resolution isn’t the only way design is changing, though. It’s no secret Apple is a huge driver of technological changes and design trends. When Apple released iOS7, the company ditched skeuomorphism in favor of a flat user interface.

Instead of using gradients and shadows for a more three-dimensional look, most design is now adopting a flat user interface. Flat UIs were already the direction the industry had been heading, with Windows 8 completely embracing the flat aesthetic. It’s time to ditch the gradient and embrace a more clean and simplified design palate.

It’s time to say goodbye to design trends which have rightfully gone out of fashion. Web design is always changing, and if you cling to old trends, you’ll soon find your shop left in the dust.