Flat Design

Flat Design (also known as Cyber Minimalism or Swiss Design) is an aesthetic that has been prevalent since 2014, following the end of the Frutiger Aero Era. It is characterized by sleek, smooth, minimalist, and organized technological design and function. The website user interfaces are ideally created with multiple accessibility functions to aid user experience (especially on a small smartphone screen), such as easily readable fonts, high contrast/dark mode options, and rounded shapes to reduce visual load.
==History==
=== Roots (1950s-2000s) ===
Flat Design had its roots back to the 1950s, influenced by the International Typographic Style (Also known as Swiss Style) that emerged in Switzerland. It also took cues from the styles of Bauhaus from the 1920s, and Memphis Design from the 1980s and 1990s. 
Poster for the 16th exhibition of the Vienna Secession, by Alfred Roller, 1902, lithography.png|Poster for the 16th exhibition of the Vienna Secession, by Alfred Roller, 1902, lithograph
Poster for a Religious Calendar (Fromme Kalender), by Koloman Moser, 1903, lithograph.jpeg|Poster for a Religious Calendar (Fromme Kalender), by Koloman Moser, 1903, lithograph
Poster for A.E.G.- Metallfadenlampe (A.E.G. - Metal Filament lamps), by Peter Behrens, 1910, lithograph.jpeg|Poster for A.E.G.- Metallfadenlampe (A.E.G. - Metal Filament lamps), by Peter Behrens, 1910, lithograph
Art Deco advertising fan Pour le Soleil Vibert Frères.jpeg|Art Deco advertising fan Pour le Soleil Vibert Frères, produced and sold by the Vibert Frères, 1920-1925, paper, lithography, wood, metal, and silvering, Musée Galliera, Paris
Poster for the '1923 Bauhaus' exhibition, by Joost Schmidt, 1923, lithograph.jpeg|Poster for the '1923 Bauhaus' exhibition, by Joost Schmidt, 1923, lithograph
Book cover design, by Alexander Rodchenko, 1929.jpeg|Constructivist book cover design, by Alexander Rodchenko, 1929, probably lithograph
Album cover for Duke Ellington's music from the motion picture Anatomy of a Murder, by Saul Bass, 1959, lithograph.jpeg|Mid-century modern album cover for Duke Ellington's music from the motion picture Anatomy of a Murder, by Saul Bass, 1959, lithograph
File:International style advertising mockup for Siam, by Juan Carlos Distéfano, 1962, ink on paper.jpeg|International style advertising mockup for Siam, by Juan Carlos Distéfano, 1962, ink on paper
Book cover design for The Hidden Persuaders, by Larry Carter, 1962, ink on paper.jpeg|International style book cover design for The Hidden Persuaders, by Larry Carter, 1962, ink on paper
Poster, by Iannis Svoronos, 1963, ink on paper.jpeg|International style poster, by Iannis Svoronos, 1963, ink on paper
Poster for a group exhibition of the Konkretist Klub at Galerie Vysočiny in Jihlava, by Jiří Hilmar, 1968, lithograph.jpeg|International style poster for a group exhibition of the Konkretist Klub at Galerie Vysočiny in Jihlava, by Jiří Hilmar, 1968, lithograph
Poster, by Yarom Vardimon, 1982, ink on paper.jpeg|Poster, by Yarom Vardimon, 1982, ink on paper
Poster, by the Mark Gowing Studio, 2006, digital.jpeg|Poster, by the Mark Gowing Studio, 2006, digital
(W)eetjewel, by 310k, InnovationNetwork, Diana Krabbendam (The Beach) and Rene van deer Veer (ReNewMedia), circa 2006, digital and print.jpeg|(W)eetjewel, by 310k, InnovationNetwork, Diana Krabbendam (The Beach) and Rene van deer Veer (ReNewMedia), c.2006, digital and print
Orange Unlimited Website.jpeg|Orange Unlimited Website, the agency that created it: Poke, creative directors: Iain Tait and Nik Roope, art directors: Julie Barnes and Nicky Gibson, illustrator: Rex Crowle, 2007, digital
Screenshot of the Fair Weather Friends music video, unknown animators, circa 2007, digital.jpeg|Screenshot of the Fair Weather Friends music video, unknown animators, c.2007, digital
Loco-roco-2-remaster-02.jpg|LocoRoco 2, developed by Japan Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, 2008, digital
Deer and other Woodland Creature Vases, by Anna Carin Dahl, circa 2008, ceramic.jpeg|Deer and other Woodland Creature Vases, by Anna Carin Dahl, c.2008, ceramic
Poster, by Experimental Jetset, 2011, digital.jpeg|Poster, by Experimental Jetset, 2011, digital
=== First Uses (2008-2012) ===
Flat Design dates back to 2008, when PepsiCo redesigned their Pepsi products to have more minimalist logos. It further developed in 2010, when Microsoft started experimenting with the Metro UI design seen on Windows Phone 7, and later in 2011 with a new Xbox 360 Dashboard. These early uses were examples of Flat Metro (a Frutiger Metro subgenre), the precursor to Flat Design.
=== Mainstream Success (2012-2023) ===
Flat Design wouldn't begin to gain notoriety until the Early-2010s, when gradient-based skeuomorphic Frutiger Aero-esque design philosophies began to disappear from tech design, in favor of cleaner looks via Windows 8 and iOS 7. Many websites, software, and electronics by corporations in the 2010s to 2020s have these minimalist elements, such as Google, Discord, Twitter, Apple, etc. Flat Design slightly inspired Android societal elements in the video game Detroit: Become Human. In 2017, an aesthetic known as Corporate Memphis appeared, combining elements of Corporate and Flat Design.
=== Decline (2022-present) ===
Many years of Flat Design have reached a level of boredom for the general public, so much so that in 2021, memes about "oversimplified logos" appeared as a precedent, including the Neumorphism and Glassmorphism trends in Mac OS Big Sur and Windows 11 respectively, recovering gradients and shadows. Flat Design reached its cultural peak and use in 2021.
Although starting in 2022 and 2023, there would be a strong decline in Flat Design. Flat logos have begun to be left behind in favor of more detailed logos. For example, in March 2023, Nickelodeon added an orange splat to its logo to pay homage to its previous logos while still maintaining the 2009 wordmark. Later in the year, Reddit also joined in, transforming Snoo into a 3D style with a more expressive face, designed by Pentagram. It's rapid decline continues well into the mid-2020s will likely be completely replaced by Glassmorphism and Neumorphism around 2025-26.
==Visuals==
As mentioned above, the visuals of Flat Design are intended to reduce visual load and increase accessibility. This also entails limited color palettes with low to medium-high saturation accent colors to minimalize eye strain. Flat Design usually avoids earth tones. Blue and white is a commonly used color combination in this aesthetic due to its clean and fresh feeling and prevalent use in web design. Easily decipherable icons are also common.
It is not necessarily futuristic or utopian, such as in Cyberprep, but it can be. Although it is used by major tech companies, it also doesn't have to be tied to corporatism or businesses. The primary focus is the minimal distraction, ease of access, and streamlined processes of technology.
Logo for Mohawk Fine Papers, by Michael Bierut for Petagram, 2013, digital.jpeg|Logo for Mohawk Fine Papers, by Michael Bierut for Petagram, 2013, digital
Poster, by StudioStudio, 2014, digital.jpeg|Poster, by StudioStudio, 2014, digital
Interface for physicsroom.org.nz, by Timothy Kelleher, Matthew Arnold and Greg Brown, 2014, digital.jpeg|Interface for physicsroom.org.nz, by Timothy Kelleher, Matthew Arnold and Greg Brown, 2014, digital
Logo for Google, by the Google design team, 2015, digital.png|Logo for Google, by the Google design team, 2015, digital
Identity design, by Thonik, 2016, digital.jpeg|Identity design, by Thonik, 2016, digital
Corporate design for Kieler Woche, by Daniel Wiesmann, 2019, digital.jpeg|Corporate design for Kieler Woche, by Daniel Wiesmann, 2019, digital
Poster for the Romanian Design Week, unknown designer, 2019, digital.jpeg|Poster for the Romanian Design Week, unknown designer, 2019, digital
File:Flatlogos.jpeg|Logos that were redesigned in a Flat Design fashion, circa 2020
Cover of Coffre au Trésor - L'Égypte Ancienne, by Muti, circa 2020, digital.jpeg|Cover of Coffre au Trésor - L'Égypte Ancienne, by Muti, circa 2020, digital
==Fashion==
Cyber minimalist fashion often overlaps with minimalist fashion with its smooth fabrics and limited colors, however cyber minimalism has less excess material and fits closer to the body. It is not tight to the body, but it has less bagginess than some minimalist fashion. It tends to not have patterned or textured fabric, but it is acceptable in moderation. There are few accessories as well, usually gold, silver, or black, fitting in with the minimalist fashion. 
File:Cyberminimalism-fashion1.png
File:Cyberminimalism-fashion2.PNG
File:Cyberminimalism-fashion3.jpg
File:Cyberminimalism-fashion4.PNG
==Media==
===Music===
Music that relates to Flat Design has light synths, smooth song structure, and is easily listened to. There is not often heavy bass, and harsh or loud noises are not present at all. It may or may not have lyrics.
*Dumb Ways to Die
*Cloudnone
*DJ Seinfeld
*PS5 Hardware Reveal Song
*Four Tet
*Steve Hauschildt
*Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know (2011)
*Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks (2011)
*Calvin Harris
**How Deep Is Your Love feat. Disciples (2015)
**This is What You Came For feat. Rihanna (2016)
**My Way (2016)
**One Kiss feat. Dua Lipa (2018)
*Avicii
**Wake Me Up (2013)
**Hey Brother (2013)
*Marian Hill
**One Time (2014)
**Down (2017)
*The Chainsmokers
**Roses (2015)
**Don't Let Me Down (2016)
**Closer (2016)
**Paris (2017)
*Lorde
**Royals (2013)
**Team (2013)
**Tennis Court (2013)
*Taylor Swift
**Shake It Off (2014)
**Blank Space (2014)
**Style (2014)
**Wildest Dreams (2015)
*Lana Del Rey
*Julia Michaels - Issues (2017)
=== Games ===
* Journey (2012)
*Dumb Ways to Die (2013)
*Dinosaur Game (2014)
*Crossy Road (2014)
*Mini Metro (2015)
*Lara Croft Go (2015)
*The Witness (2016)
*Firewatch (2016)
*No Man's Sky (2016)
*Overwatch (2016)
*Pokémon GO (2016)
*Fortnite (2017)
*Sea of Thieves (2018)
*Detroit: Become Human (2018)
*Mini Motorways (2019)
* Control (2019)
* Mosaic (2019)
*Fall Guys (2020)
File:Mini-motorways-ui.jpg
File:Bridge-Constructor-Portal-ui.jpg
File:Dumb Ways To Die.png|Dumb Ways To Die (2013)
File:The Witness.jpg|The Witness (2016)
File:Firewatch cover.jpg
File:Firewatch.png|Firewatch (2016)
File:Crossy Road.png
=== Movies ===
* Her (2013)
* Ex Machina (2014)
* Anon (2018)
=== YouTube Channels ===
* Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell (2013)
* Crash Course
* The Infographics Show (2011)
* Marques Brownlee (2012)
=== TV Shows ===
* Squid Game (2021)
* Lu and the Bally Bunch (2023)
=== Technology ===
* Windows Phone 7, 8.1 and 10 Mobile (2010-2018)
* Windows 8 (2012)
* Windows 8.1 (2013)
* iOS 7-17 (2013-Present)
* Nintendo 2DS (2013)
* New Nintendo 3DS (2014-2015) 
* PlayStation 4 (2013-2017)
* Xbox One (2013-2019)
* Mac OS X 10.10-10.15 (2014-2019)
* Android 5.0-13.0 (2014-Today)
* Windows 10 (2015)
* New Nintendo 2DS XL (2017)
* Nintendo Switch (2017-2021)
* Xbox Series S/X (2020-2023)
* PlayStation 5 (2020)
File:Ios-ui.png|iOS 7 UI (2013-Today)
File:IPhone5-3up-Pyramid iOS7 PRINT.jpg|iPhone 5S (2013)
File:Material Design Google.png|Google's "Material Design"
File:Switchmenu.jpg|Nintendo Switch Menu (Light Mode)
File:Nintendo-Switch-ui.jpg|Nintendo Switch Menu (Dark Mode)
File:2-2.jpg|Windows 8.1 (2013)
File:AmzEVc.png|Windows 10 (2015)
File:Macos-sierra-17982-3.jpg|Mac OS X 10.10-10.15 User Interface (2014-2019)
File:Androidpie.png|Android Pie (2018)
File:Android-12.jpg|Android 12 (2021)
Digital Minimalism.jpg
Microsoft Surface Pro.jpg
IPhone-Minimalism.jpg
Google Pixel.jpg
File:1633095069065.jpg|Cyber Minimalistic business in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Canary Islands, Spain (Circa, 2020)
Category:Visual
Category:Design Aesthetics
Category:Electronic
Category:Futuristic
Category:Fashion
Category:White
Category:Light Blue
Category:2010s
Category:2020s
Category:Corporate
Category:Swiss
Category:European
Category:Minimalism