Flat Design / Vector Minimalism vs Skeuomorphism
フラットデザイン / ベクターミニマリズム / スキューモーフィズム
Both sit in UI Expression, so the question is not what they belong to but how they behave. Both are read here as style. They are reached for with some of the same intent, which is where they get confused.
Flat Design / Vector Minimalism
Reduces information to plain planes and color, portable across screens and media.
Skeuomorphism
Borrows cues from real materials and tools to make unknown interactions understandable. It names the principle, so Aqua and Brushed Metal are what the principle looked like when one company shipped it.
| Flat Design / Vector Minimalism | Skeuomorphism | |
|---|---|---|
| Era | 2010s– | 2000s–2010s |
| Family | UI Expression | UI Expression |
| Kind | Style | Style |
| Cues | Uniform planes / Simple shapes / Few shadows / Clear color | Leather, metal, paper / Dimensional shadows / Real-world metaphors / Fine textures |
| Best used for | Light, understandable explanation · Large sets of consistent figures | Explaining new interactions through familiar tools · Crafted, tactile experiences |
| Type | A rounded sans-serif | A humanist face suited to the purpose |
| Composition | Simple silhouettes and clear hierarchy | Adopt the structure of the real tool |
| Material | Three to five colors; shadows only when they mean something | Precision texture only where it serves function |
| Caution | Figures easily become generic. Define your own ratios, lines and color rules. | Ornament must not bury the interaction. Expect generations who don't share the metaphor. |