I said this very clearly before and was downvoted into oblivion, but I think it needs to be said:
This article advocates for some balance between flat design and skeumorphism. Granted, the article is written decently well, but it does not go into any detailed analysis as to where that balance should lie.
It simply states: Hierarchy should use composition and color. Cool -- basic design principle, check. Beautiful, readable typography? Yes -- sure. Strong emphasis on content, not ornamentation. OK. I've read this 1000x times already. What is new? Where are the analyses or case studies to support the principles?
We need to start talking about where the balance lies and why it lies there. Different interactions will require different balances to find optimality.
> it does not go into any detailed analysis as to where that balance should lie
That's very much part of the point. From the article:
Without strict visual requirements associated with flat design, post flat offers designers tons of variety to explore new aesthetics – informed by the best qualities of skeuomorphic and flat design.
Well then this is just post-modernism applied to flat design. An amorphous ball of nothing that has no rules so do whatever you want. Want drop shadows in two directions, cool, cause we can do whatever we want now!
I'm not buying it. Post-modernism has been exposed as a joke by fake academic paper generators. Design loosed from it's moors is called experimentation, not post-flat, or whatever's cool right. Please, experiment, just don't claim you've re-invented magic.
This article advocates for some balance between flat design and skeumorphism. Granted, the article is written decently well, but it does not go into any detailed analysis as to where that balance should lie.
It simply states: Hierarchy should use composition and color. Cool -- basic design principle, check. Beautiful, readable typography? Yes -- sure. Strong emphasis on content, not ornamentation. OK. I've read this 1000x times already. What is new? Where are the analyses or case studies to support the principles?
We need to start talking about where the balance lies and why it lies there. Different interactions will require different balances to find optimality.