Flat Design Decreases User Efficiency

Summary: Though aesthetically appealing, flat designs often force users to guess which elements are interactive, leading to increased user errors and frustration.

by

Topics:

Flat Design Decreases User Efficiency

 to watch NN/g videos

Related Article

Long-Term Exposure to Flat Design: How the Trend Slowly Decreases User Efficiency

Clickable UI elements with absent or weak visual signifiers condition users over time to click and hover uncertainly across pages — reducing efficiency and increasing reliance on contextual cues and immediate click feedback. Young adult users may be better at perceiving subtle clickability clues, but they don’t enjoy click uncertainty any more than other age groups.

Video Author

Kate Moran is a former NN/G employee who worked on research, teaching, management, and thought leadership. Her expertise spanned qualitative and quantitative research methods. At NN/G Kate published research findings on topics such as digital content, information-seeking user behaviors, and AI.

Learn More

Subscribe to the weekly newsletter to get notified about future articles.

Videos