The UI future is colourful and dimensional

Flat design is over. The future is colourful and dimensional. Those aren’t my words. They’re Brian Chesky’s, CEO of Airbnb, after what can only be described as a landmark redesign of the platform. A redesign full of whimsical, animated, 3D icons and warm, tactile surfaces. It’s always hard to pinpoint when a paradigm shift happens. Usually, you only recognize it in hindsight. iOS 7 in 2013 was one. These past few weeks have felt like another. The pendulum is swinging again. Some of us worked toward this shift for years, so I’ll just say it: We’re so back. I told you so. But if we’re really entering a new era of visual design, we need better language for it. Redefining Dimensional Design I’ve never liked the word skeuomorphism. A skeuomorph is when something digital borrows the concept of something physical—like a trash can icon that looks like a real bin, or a book app that flips pages like paper. But over time, skeuomorphic became a catch-all for any design with depth, texture ... Read full article.