Applications of Skeuomorphic Designs

Types of Skeuomorphism

There are no proper classifications of Skeuomorphism but you might find two different variations in terms of the design of Skeuomorphic graphics or illustrations....

Applications of Skeuomorphic Designs

User Interface Design: Skeuomorphic designs are highly employed in designing interactive user interfaces to create user-friendly experiences and designs, elements such as buttons, sliders, and icons are mostly inspired by real-world elements. Mobile Applications and Gaming: Mobile applications need textures, colours, shadows and animations and hence these designs are implemented to make the platform more realistic and interactive making the users feel more connected to the digital platforms. The most common reason brands add such designs is to give the user a sense of premium-ness of the product or to introduce a sense of familiarity with the real-life objects. Another field where Skeuomorphic designs are implemented is the gaming industry where real-life objects like TVs, cars, wallpapers, and background scenery are frequently used to represent real-life objects which enhances the user’s overall gaming experience.These designs help in improving the learning curve of the users who are unfamiliar with a specific digital working environment or a tool, these graphics help in bridging such gaps. Iconography: Icons play a very pivotal role in “user interfaces” and designers always try to make icons more recognizable and relatable, the biggest example is the “Recycle Bin” icon on all operating systems that mimics a waste bin in real life....

Drawbacks of Skeuomorphic Designs

Despite designs being attractive and improving user experience the drawbacks can’t be ignored, there are some important points that we must consider before implementing such designs...

Skeuomorphism vs Flat Design

Skeuomorphism is an exact replication of a real-world object, but what do you call an object that is similar to a real-life object but not an exact recreation? Yes, we call it “Flat Design” and a great example of it is the logo of “Instagram” which is based on a real-life camera, other examples would be the logos of Gmail and Telegram....

Conclusion

In con, caution Skeuomorphic designs are being implemented on a very large scale trying to bring the digital world close to the objects of real life, they are used to enhance user experience and also add an essence of premiumness for the users. It’s not wrong to consider “Flat Designs” as a creative outcome of Skeuomorphism....