Top 30 Amazing Neumorphism Designs That Will Blow Your Mind
Today is about one of the latest design styles that got a lot of attention lately called Neumorphism. It originates from Skeuomorphism, an early adopter trend that Apple used in the early days before flat, material, and minimalist design became popular. Before we dive in into the actual showcase of designs, I would love to explain in a few words about the history of these trends, how they propagate and what is fashionable today. Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!
The concept of skeuomorphism was first proposed in the 1980s. Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, was one of the first advocates that computer interfaces should be decorated to look like real-world objects. The concept is simple: users should find computer interfaces much easier to use if they are designed in a skeuomorphic manner.
It was beneficial for individuals who had never used a computer since the association with natural objects made identification very simple.
Mac OS X 104 Tiger
Even now in 2023, this style is still present in some components of modern applications. For instance, the trash icon on your macOS as Michal Malewicz explains it in his wonderful article or the well-known floppy disk we love using it when we want to save our progress.
macOS Monterey
But, what this weird word means anyway?
According to Wikipedia: “A skeuomorph is a derivative object that retains ornamental design cues from structures that were necessary for the original.”
A plain definition would be that it mimics details of the real world.
We can use our imagination and tools like Photoshop (this would go very well in this case), Figma or Sketch to transfer the decorative details of a real-life object into a digital interface. There are some talented artists who use Skeuomorphism in their work to create intriguing designs. Let’s take a look at some examples:
Another Guitar Effects Shot by Mik Skuza
UI Kit by Mike Creative Mints
iOS Game / Match3! by Mike Creative Mints
The result is beautiful thanks to the attention paid to every detail. Designers go beyond the call of duty in designing every element, to look exactly or very closely to match a real-life object. This quote sums it up nicely:
The details are not details. They make the design.
Advantages using Skeumorphism
Immediate recognition because of its realistic approach
Creativity meets no boundaries
Feedback – for instance an audible signal is generated when you throw something into the trash
How on earth will I implement this?
Indeed, that’s the main disadvantage of using this style and that’s why it went outdated. People start questioning, do we really need all that? The most visually drastic transition occurred in 2013 from iOS 6 to iOS 7.
Photo credits go to the respective owners
Advantages of Minimal Flat Design
Coding time has been significantly decreased
The actual code was also refactored
The storage on the server was reduced
In this article, we will explore some examples of Neumorphic UI designs and get inspired by them so that you can start combining old and new elements in your own creative projects but before that:
What exactly is Neumorphism Design?
Often called modern skeuomorphism this design trend falls somewhere between skeuomorphism and flat design. It does not act by miming features of natural objects nor by reducing their details to a minimum. This example from Justinmind illustrates it the best:
A neumorphic design provides a unique user experience and visually appears as a soft interface with drop shadows, depth effects, and a vibrant primary colour, all of which work together to create this cool aesthetic.
Here is a wonderful freebie containing multiple components wrapped in neumorphism. Let’s analyze it a bit:
Mike Denzel
The background of the card and the artboard’s background share the same neutral color, and the two shadows, one lighter and one darker combine to give the impression of a 3D scene.
On the entire interface, one accent-primary color expresses a professional aesthetic.
A major role is played by the in-depth effect applied to many components—for instance, the square and the circle.
I know what some of you are thinking: Yes it is all wonderful, but I think this UI style is not applicable. How many apps have you seen under neumorphism ? Well, I think if you want to be unique and make your app stand out in this noisy world, you can give it a try.
My advice is to not go very aggressive with it and make components very subtle, clean, and simple. You can use this css free tool to implement a neumorphic design.
Without further details please welcome a collection of very carefully handpicked design shots under neumorphic style from designers around the world.
This shot became viral on Dribbble very quickly, starting the neumorphism trend. Many designers immediately began applying this style to their creative work after seeing it.
