Skeumorphism

The newest design buzzword. It means to design things that emulate real-world objects, like how the iPhone notes app looks like a yellow legal pad. For two interesting perspectives: 

It sucks: http://madebymany.com/blog/apples-aesthetic-dichotomy

It sucks, but I guess it’s ok: http://www.andymangold.com/skeuomorphism-the-opiate-of-the-people/

I tend to waver, but I think I agree with Andy. Disguising a sophisticated new UI as a familiar but defunct design has an air of pandering kitsch… but it is in fact an extremely effective tactic to soften the design of a new piece of technology so that a normal person feels comfortable approaching it. If you truly believe in the democratizing power of technology, this should be ok with you. If you value innovative designs and aesthetic integrity over all else, it is abhorrent. Personally, I think these things are bad only if one is unable to ever move past them. We still send mail right? That’s why it’s ok that every email app still has an envelope on it. But no one uses floppy disks anymore, so maybe that one should go. Some people still take notes on yellow legal pads…. so maybe we should just lighten up and deal with it :D