Baggy jeans, vinyl and Brendan Fraser all have one thing in common. 

Any guesses? They’ve made comebacks in recent years.

And something else that has been slowly making a comeback is flat design. But why are so many companies adopting this technique today? What’s changed in the mind of the design industry?

To understand why we have to go back in time. The 1920s saw the rise of Swiss Design, which later became known as the International Typographic Style. It stripped back all the layers of design that were deemed unnecessary, favouring clean and concise compositions over the ornamental and decorative style that was mainly used at the time. A distinct lack of dimension gave Swiss Design pieces a ‘flat’ appearance, with the most famous pieces being in the form of posters, leaflets, street signs or institutional brand identities where clear communication was prioritised. It was literally ‘form follows function’ in the flesh.

Brave new world.

Fast forward now to the 90s and early 00s, where the technology boom is in full swing and almost anything can be designed with the aid of computer generated graphics. For the design industry, Adobe’s release of Photoshop in 1987 opened the metaphorical floodgates of ‘realistic’ design. Gone were the days of flat design, the reign of Skeuomorphism was about to begin. Skeuomorphism (in this particular context) refers to when something in design is imitating the way it would be in real life. Gradients, highlights, shadows and transparent effects were all the rage. The more ‘real’ it looked, the more futuristic it seemed. The more futuristic it seemed, the cooler it was.

There was also another very logical reason for the Skeuomorphism craze. Take the very first iPhone for example. How could they make the user experience intuitive for people who had never seen a phone with a digital touchscreen before? Easy- make all the applications look like their real counterparts in order to create a feeling of familiarity for the user. Volume adjustments made to look like real knobs you could turn. Settings turned on and off using toggle switches, and buttons made to look like 3D tangible objects. It was ingenious for its time, and it worked.

However by the time the early to mid 2010s came around people had started to get the hang of technology, and ironically the once cutting edge style had itself become antiquated and ‘nostalgic’. Designers began to shift away from the decorative gradients and shadows of Skeuomorphism and adopted a more minimalist approach, with the aim of stripping back unnecessary features to prioritise clear, decluttered communication. Sound familiar?

Return of the King.

This shift in thinking began to influence many other branches of design including product, industrial and graphic design sectors. Probably the most notable change seen today is the rebranding of major players in the consumer products industry. From food and beverage companies to clothing and automotive manufacturers, almost every logo on the market right now is flat. Categorised by many as 'Reblanding', the wave of minimalist logos has not gone down well with some folk. However when we look past what some perceive as 'boring' design we can see the layers that contribute to creating a successful flat logo.

In 2011 Starbucks revealed their new look. It opted to remove its name from the logo entirely, creating a sleek and modern design that relied solely on the Starbucks Siren - Starbucks' biggest symbol of their brand. Starbucks' green also became a larger player in making the logo instantly identifiable as they opted to use just one single colour. The reason the logo is so successful is because it strips back all the unnecessary elements and presents the viewer with the most identifiable features. (Of course the fact that Starbucks is possibly the world's most famous coffee shop might have something to do with it, but that's not the point!)

Not only that, but more companies are using design language derived straight from the International Typographic Style. Toyota’s recent rebrand is a prime example; clean grid layouts, bold use of colour and a considered use of white space. The excerpt from Toyota's brand guidelines below demonstrates how their use of colour shines the spotlight on their vehicles, making it the most striking thing on the page. They guide the viewer to what they want them to see by creating a visual flow, and coupled with their new simple logo Toyota have been propelled into the modern age and reinvented themselves as a brand.

Along for the ride.

So why should you consider flat design? Nowadays attention spans aren’t as long as they used to be, therefore getting your message across as quickly and effortlessly as possible is paramount. This applies to logos as well as layouts, as an easily identifiable and simple logo can be extremely effective. A flat logo is also really practical as it can be easily vectorised, allowing for resizing without loss of quality. Another reason why you should consider flat design is simply because- it’s popular right now. Design trends come in and out of fashion all the time, there’s no shame in jumping on the bandwagon.

If you are thinking about changing up your brand, what are you waiting for? Get in touch today, we’d love to hear from you.

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