Flat Design: Everything You Need to Know in 5 Minutes (+ Examples)

Caroline Forsey
Caroline Forsey

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Published:

Flat design is a user interface style that uses simple two-dimensional elements, minimal textures, and bright colors.

flat design

There are plenty of benefits to flat design -- the simple elements allow for faster load time and easier user navigation.Download 195+ visual marketing design templates to use for social media posts,  infographics, and more. Plus, it looks modern and clean.

Windows 8 is a good example of flat design:

flat design example: windows 8

As you can see from the Windows 8 interface, the large, colorful blocks are effective elements for easy usability. Plus, the flat design ensures optimal user experience on various devices, since the simple shapes and lack of texture easily scale for different devices' screen sizes.

If you think flat design is just a short-term trend, think again -- Usabilla surveyed 100 professionals and found 68 percent believe flat design will affect how we design for the web, long-term.

Here are the major elements of flat design:

  • Illustrations
  • Bright colors
  • Uncomplicated shapes
  • Functional
  • Simple typography
  • Minimalist
  • Intuitive
  • More use of negative space
  • Absence of three-dimensional depth

Here, we'll take a look at the top websites using flat design, so you can decide whether flat design is the right style for your business.

Top Websites Using Flat Design

1. Wistia

flat design example: wistia

2. The Hype Agency

flat design example: hype agency

3. Intercom

flat design example: intercom

4. Stripe

flat design example: stripe

5. Apple iOS 7

flat design example: iOS 7

6. Taasky

flat design example: taasky

7. Operativnik Website Design by Felix Baky

Operativnik Website Design by Felix Baky

download 195+ free design templates

 195 free visual design templates

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