Since the World Wide Web was invented web design has become more and more sophisticated and now the design and look & feel of a page is just as important as the technical coding required to make the site function.
The expectation of a website is far greater now than it was years ago when the internet was more about basic information sharing.
With the recent launch of HTML 5 the desire to create stunning yet functional websites has escalated and we love the challenge and opportunity that this brings for us as a leading web design agency.
As with printed design, branding and advertising there is usually a latest trend or a feature which is considered fashionable within website design. Over the years we have seen many themes and design styles come and go.
One of the latest trends we have spotted is “long shadow”.
What is long shadow ?
The concept of long shadow is borrowed from flat design (another web design trend we have seen rise lately) and is popping up in a big way in recent weeks. The trend is impacting user interface elements and icons the strongest, but it is also starting to creep into other parts of website design.
Long shadows spread past the object in which they mirror.
We have noticed long shadows becoming a quick trend in design and often being added to objects in flat design schemes. The shadows, which often rest at a 45-degree angle, mirror an object and add a lot of emphasis and drama.
What’s different about these shadows are that are flat. Web designers are creating long shadows using a tint of the color with no shading, fading or graduation of color.
So far, long shadow design has been used largely for smaller objects and elements such as icons. Shadows live within the element and often extend outside an object to the surrounding frame. Many of the long shadow concepts we are seeing come from projects where designers are looking for creative ways to build icons for the upcoming Apple iOS 7.
Conclusion
Long shadow design seems to be an evolution of the flat design trend. Designers looking to create more depth but work within the concept of flat design have created a sort of middle ground with long shadows.
The idea is fun and user-friendly and relies on the shadow being clean and distinct. Long shadows are distinguishable and need to all follow the same pattern of light, meaning that every shadow within a design should be at the same degree and angle. Shadows are designed to mirror light and will all fall in the same direction at the same time.
Have you already spotted long shadow being used? I’m sure you will be seeing it more and more from now on.