SAE Magazine 13-2

h uses those skeuomor- raphical elements that are . Let´s now have a look at small notebook with our that look like real paper. ms to be leather. tle things that are skeuo- ot remarkable at the first eflection of an icon at the w of a chosen window at aphic tools that have also ern web design. When we HTML-element we make ment is silhouetted against ate reality. And when we n to achieve a round and only try to fake the real r of a button. purpose of a skeuomor- s supposed to make us) igital application in a few behavior and sounds are reality and by this we are nect our experiences and ra to the digital version on tionwillcertainlybeasked e old virtue of design that e still compatible. ntact application ofApple’s ebook with all the names problem is that I can click et the wanted information such as addresses or phone numbers but I cannot turn the pages to the right or the left – this is what I would expect from a real notebook. With all due respect to Apple, this is a usability fail! Skeuomorphism be- comes a problem when reality is only partially simulated. The appear- ance of a notebook is considered but it does not mimic the typical behavior. Therefore it is unimportant if we talk about a surface of an application or about a website. Skeuomorphisms always risk being misinterpreted and to raise ex- pectations from the user that cannot be delivered. Furthermore it is an outworn argument that skeuo- morphisms are helpful in making the user feel com- fortable with an application. We live in a time when nearly everybody is used to digital interfaces and an introduction via simulating something in reality is not really necessary anymore. We accept that screens are two-dimensional, digital surfaces that offer abstract control options and we get along with- out any skeuomorphisms. This is the principle of ‘flat design’. ➤ Index Photo:AppleInc. An example for skeuomorphism - the contact App of OS X We accept that screens are two- dimensional, digital surfaces that offer abstract control options and we get along without any skeuomor-

SAE Magazine 13-2

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