What is Skeuomorphism: Definition, History, And Use Cases

Skeuomorphism might be a tongue-twister, but it's a crucial aspect of UI design. With its help alone, designers can make digital products more familiar to users and their functions easier to recognize. However, not everyone is a fan, and it's not always the best solution for a project.

As a design agency with extensive experience, Arounda creates human-centric solutions for the world's top companies. We are deeply familiar with all design styles and approaches, including skeuomorphism, and we want to share our knowledge with you in this article. 

What does skeuomorphism look like? Read further to discover and learn which purpose it serves and what alternatives to it to consider for your design projects.

The Definition of Skeuomorphism

Let's start with the skeuomorphism definition. Skeuomorphism is the approach to design that makes items resemble something familiar, such as real-life objects we use in our daily lives. For instance, adding shades and textures to an icon can make it resemble a physical button more. This, in turn, helps a user spot such an icon within an interface and interact with it. That's why this concept most commonly works in UI/UX designs.

History of Skeuomorphism

The concept of skeuomorphism dates back to at least 1890, but its roots trace back even further in history. You can see it already in ancient craftsmanship, where artisans often made new items mimicking the forms and decorations of older and more familiar items. For instance, pottery that looked like silver cups. This trend got new life in the industrial era, with early electric lights resembling candlesticks and gas lamps. The digital age took skeuomorphism to a new level, as tech giants like Apple and Microsoft employed this approach in their solutions.

Skeuomorphism Pros and Cons

Okay, we’ve answered, “What is skeuomorphism design?” However, when is it appropriate to use? Just like with any other technique, there’s no universal approach. Keep your mind open and use it when it will be truly beneficial. 

To understand this, let's explore some of the main benefits and drawbacks of skeuomorphism in your projects. 

The benefits are:

1. Simplicity. Skeuomorphic design features are intuitive as they resemble real-world objects. This minimizes the need for designers to explain how user interactions should happen and generally makes such interactions smoother.
2. Feedback. Certain skeuomorphism elements, such as camera shutter sound or sounds or vibrations, can serve as immediate feedback for users trying out a product or service. This, in turn, helps enhance their experience.
3. Immersion. Incorporating skeuomorphic elements like icons or backgrounds can also help enhance user immersion. This is achieved by aligning digital experiences with familiar real-world ones.

The drawbacks are:

1. Complexity. Too many skeuomorphic elements can look too complex and create interfaces that are cluttered with unnecessary elements. While these elements can mimic real-world objects, they serve no practical purpose.
2. Outdated. These days, a lot of skeuomorphic elements in a design can make it look outdated and irrelevant. This largely depends on the examples of skeuomorphism used for a certain project. For instance, using a floppy disk icon to represent the "save" function may confuse younger users who have never seen such items or interacted with them.
3. Performance. When a designer adds too many skeuomorphic components to an app or a website, this can impact their performance. Such elements usually require additional resources to load and maintain and can potentially affect the user experience negatively.

What Is a Skeuomorph Design Used For?

These days, skeuomorphic design isn't as common as it was a decade ago. However, in particular cases it can still be the best choice. Here are some use cases that prove this point.

Enhanced Immersion

Skeuomorphic design helps deepen immersion in video games. For instance, such elements boost the look of the user interface and make environments feel more authentic and engaging. One of the most common examples is old maps used in games like Red Dead Redemption 2.

Assistance to Technologically Challenged Users

Certain countries and older adults may be less familiar with new technologies. In this case, skeuomorphic design can make the user experience more intuitive. When the interfaces resemble familiar physical objects, users who generally struggle with digital tasks can master them with more ease. 

Adaptation to New Technologies

Even those of us familiar with modern technologies may need help with mastering new ones. For instance, many people who are proficient with personal computers and the internet might still find it challenging to adapt to the latest advances in augmented reality. In this case, skeuomorphic elements can also be very helpful. With their assistance, AR software may mimic the ‘real-world’ layouts and items, shortening the learning curve for certain users. 

Alternatives to Skeuomorphism 

Now you know the answer to “What is skeuomorphic design?”, and when it's appropriate to use it. But what should you do when such solutions don't seem the most suitable option? 

In this case, you can use alternative styles. 

Flat Design 

This style prioritizes readability and simplicity over real-world resemblance. Each element is straightforward and serves a single purpose. Such designs can look quite simple yet stylish and user-friendly. For instance, Arounda used flat illustrations and charts when redesigning Metricly, an AWS cost optimization platform. 

Neomorphism

This style is a combination of skeuomorphism and flat design. It uses subtle shadows and color gradients to make the objects look deep and appealing. At the same time, it lacks the familiarity of traditional skeuomorphic elements.

Minimalism

This style focuses on using as few elements as possible. It embraces simplicity and often works with negative space to create clean and uncluttered designs. One of the vivid examples of minimalist style is Arounda's redesign of Expense, an expense management platform. 

Conclusion

Skeuomorphic design might not be the trending one. Still, it helped lay the groundwork for newer approaches and helped users adapt to digital devices. Furthermore, even these days, it is important to know what is skeuomorphism design, as opting for it could benefit certain projects.

Looking for assistance with your digital product redesign or design from scratch? Contact Arounda to see how we can assist you!

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