Neumorphism: The New Skeuomorphism

The minimalist aesthetic that is taking over UI design

With the latest update of the iOS, everyone got busy customising their app drawers and home screens to match their aesthetic. Not all remember the olden days of the cluttered homescreen with arguably garish icons that made it possible.

Skeuomorphism

Skeuomorphism in UI is when the design of the objects imitates its real life design. For example, the phone icon in cell phones looks like a traditional phone, despite the mobile phone looking completely different, and the contacts application looks like a phone directory.

The various icons resemble their real world design

Skeuomorphism was popular when touch screens were new because they lent a familiarity to the icons that allowed users to instantly recognise their meaning and thus enhanced usability.

So, buttons were glossy and looked like they were protruding from the screen, and the clock had a dial that you could intuitively scroll to set your alarm. But skeuomorphism didn’t just mean that buttons had to look glossy.

The buttons are placed similar to a physical calculator.

It also meant that the design of the object had to be recognisable for easy accessibility, for example, the digital calculator had the same buttons in the same exact placement as any other physical calculator.

Neumorphism

Neumorphism is not the opposite of skeumorphism, but derives from it. But its focus is more on the aesthetics. The main point of deliberation is not on contrast between the real and the digital version of the objects, but the colour palette, consistency in visuals, and use of shadow and lighting to create a softer look guide the design elements.

Instead of looking like the elements are sitting on top of the background, they appear to be protruding from it. Sometimes they can look like they’re sinking into the background.

Far from the clutter but necessity of skeuomorphic design, neumorphism creates something entirely new, pleasing to the eye and subtle.

However, its strength itself can lead to its drawbacks. People with visual disabilities can find it difficult to distinguish between the element and the background, where contract is necessary. In addition, it is difficult to achieve design hierarchy with the limited palette in neumorphic design.