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Shakeerah625

: Subtle vs bright GUI design - Is there inherent value in design subtlety beyond user preference? I've heard it said that a designer should almost always use subtle, simplistic style in the design

@Shakeerah625

Posted in: #InterfaceDesign #UserExperience

I've heard it said that a designer should almost always use subtle, simplistic style in the design of a typical user interface. Is that really the case?



For example, Windows 8 is very bright / loud, and it seems to be popular, but that doesn't necessarily go beyond the current trends.

I'm looking for an example of subtlety being a valuable aspect in all GUI design, rather than just a feature of preference.

As it is, it seems that the balance between GUI subtlety and vibrancy can be ignore or upheld without any consequence beyond the world's current user preference.




What are some of the pros & cons of using subtle style for user-interface design vs those of using bright, loud styling?
Is there an inherent value in GUI color subtlety, or is it's value based purely on user preference?

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@Angie364

I think you mean muted (“subdued, softened”) rather than subtle (“so slight as to be difficult to detect or analyze”). A lot of Apple's designs are subtle without necessarily being muted.


What are some of the pros & cons of using subtle style for
user-interface design vs those of using bright, loud styling?


Off the top of my head . . .


You can look at a muted UI longer before visual fatigue sets in.
Muted and bold stylings have a different psychological impact; they send different messages. (Especially when you're talking about color.)
A muted UI gives you more ways to demand the users attention.


Also, I have to work harder to keep bright, loud styling from looking like a clown’s pants.

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@Shakeerah625

In my opinion, a designer should never always design anything in any way!

I've been designing professionally for a few years now, and every time I have designed a product it has been, first and foremost, to meet the requirements of the client - be it a website, app, email template or other interface.

If the client wants a subtle, flat interface (in line with iOS7, for example), then I will try to create something that meets that expectation without copying it from somewhere else; the same applies for a bright, flat interface like Windows 8.

Don't pay too much attention to 'fashion' - trends are so arbitrary that something considered 'fashionable' one day could be obsolete the next. It's unlikely, but for all we know the 'flat' style might be gone in a couple of years, and skeumorphics & gloss may end up coming back around...such is the roundabout nature of trends. They're fun to observe, but don't always join in!

I hope this helps.

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