Flat design and minimalist design weren't invented in 2012

Showing how they are neither new terms, nor the same thing, through Microsoft Word

Let’s take a break from my Rotis Archive side project this week and talk about ‘flat’ and ‘minimalist’ design.

These terms entered mainstream language in the design industry around 2012, as there was a growing sense that user interfaces were being made to look too ‘skeuomorphic’ i.e. too lifelike, to the detriment of usability and functionality.

The terms ‘flat’ and ‘minimalist’ are often used interchangeably when describing how user interfaces look and feel.

But they are not the same thing.

As the Nielsen Norman Group put it (emphasis is my own):

Flat design generally refers to the textures, icons, or graphics in an interface. Minimalist design applies to the larger or overarching content, feature, and layout strategies. An interface may be flat without being minimalist.

Let’s explain this with a graphic.

I’ve used one of the most recognisable pieces of software out there. Software I’ve written about and praised again and again.

It is, of course, Microsoft Word.

Click/tap on the image below to explore it fullscreen!

I’ve plotted a chart with the major versions of Word along the bottom, and two axes for Flatness and Minimalism on the side.

You can see how the lines diverge at times and converge at other times, with some commentary for why this is.

And to wrap up, this diagram also shows that the design industry is no different than any other. While the humans we design for rarely change their nature, the design patterns we use to do so remain cyclical 🔄